San Antonio International Airport News & Updates

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by starvinggryphon

...I believe the massive growth the city has experienced has already rendered the very basic plans to expand obsolete and the city really needs to reconsider their redesign and go for something far more ambitious.

That's great to hear. However, I believe that is quite a reach to make the claim that the current masterplan is "obsolete" and that SAT needs to be more "ambitious" on May 3, 2021.

I actually really like the current plan. It's a huge difference from what it is now. And, it's appropriate in scale.

[texboy]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

That's great to hear. However, I believe that is quite a reach to make the claim that the current masterplan is "obsolete" and that SAT needs to be more "ambitious" on May 3, 2021.

I actually really like the current plan. It's a huge difference from what it is now. And, it's appropriate in scale.

I agree. And, this plan can in fact expand beyond this. I remember a terminal D concept years ago that lined up with the proposed terminal C that would effectively relocate some of the existing maintenance hangars, which would be way more easy to do than to relocate an entire terminal complex.

[starvinggryphon]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

That's great to hear. However, I believe that is quite a reach to make the claim that the current masterplan is "obsolete" and that SAT needs to be more "ambitious" on May 3, 2021.

I actually really like the current plan. It's a huge difference from what it is now. And, it's appropriate in scale.

So first of all I'm 9th generation San Antonian (born and raised) so I want the best for the city but I'll never be a blind homer (that quickly dissipates with travel and realization of just how provincial and outdated our city is.). My statement was not a reach in the least. Sadly San Antonio at the moment has the very basic minimum (entirely substandard and far from where a metro it's size should be). Much smaller metros have more efficient airports with more gates and more non-stops flights, yet our city which was the nations fastest growing city a few years ago and has been #2 ever since has failed to catch up. So in summation, the redesigns will be obsolete by the time they're built... it'll simply put us back at the bare minimum for a metro our size. RDU, AUS, MSY, MKE, etc. all put SAT to shame... in the grand scheme of things San Antonio International is a just barely glorified version of Albuquerque's Sunport (entirely unacceptable).

My statements are based on the size of our airport but also on the fact that for 12 years now I have to waste an entire day flying around the country to make sometimes bizarre connection flights because we have very limited direct flights. As it is, to fly out of SAT I'll leave at dawn and arrive at my destination at nightfall. When I lived in San Francisco I had the choice of 3 international airports ranging from a global powerhouse (SFO) to a basic airport closer to the size of SAT (Oakland International) which was superior in every way and I could be anywhere in 1 to 4 hours. Time wasted in business travel, and our inefficient airport is the reason San Antonio lost AT&T to Dallas several years ago, but our leadership then still never implemented any acceptable solution. Think about how the voters repeatedly turned down light rail in favor of an antiquated bussing systems that wouldn't be implemented until the 2030s and our leadership says "We are beyond light rail".

[pr57001]

MKE - 6,894,894 Total passengers 2019
ABQ - 5,405,662 Total passengers 2019
SAT - ~ 10.4M Total passengers 2019

I don't think SAT is quite as underserved as people like to claim. It seems the state of the facilities--convenient, but small and outdated--makes people think otherwise. Passenger counts drive more destinations, plain and simple.

The ABQ airport is bigger, nicer an more spread out than SAT. But it doesn't have better connectivity or more non-stop destinations. Not by a long shot.

Compare to AUS, yes left in the dust. But that's still true comparing AUS to most places.

[starvinggryphon]

Originally Posted by pr57001

MKE - 6,894,894 Total passengers 2019
ABQ - 5,405,662 Total passengers 2019
SAT - ~ 10.4M Total passengers 2019

I don't think SAT is quite as underserved as people like to claim. It seems the state of the facilities--convenient, but small and outdated--makes people think otherwise. Passenger counts drive more destinations, plain and simple.

The ABQ airport is bigger, nicer an more spread out than SAT. But it doesn't have better connectivity or more non-stop destinations. Not by a long shot.

Compare to AUS, yes left in the dust. But that's still true comparing AUS to most places.

To reiterate, I gave a list of airports for smaller metros that have larger airports and more gates. Also like I pointed out, SAT's numbers have swelled (no doubt the influx of new residents) and it makes sense that we have larger passenger traffic... but this is no way negates the inefficiency of our airport as there are now long lines without enough seating at the gates (people are sitting on the floor in the halls now to wait for their flights). SA's growth is very impressive but sadly we are not ready for continued growth.

[ILUVSAT]

I hear your pain and frustration. But, it is not as easy as if you build it they will come. Funding and the FAA may get in the way of throwing a grandiose design up against the wall to see if it sticks.

I agree that SAT is outdated and needs to be more efficient - from a passenger standpoint. And that is coming.

Airside - with regard to garnering new routes, there is only so much the City can do. It's completely up to the airlines. And, they must believe they can clear a specific margin on their investment to do so. San Antonio's metrics are different from every other metro in the U.S. So, saying: "If XYZ has this, so should we" is not a fair, or solid argument.

Additionally, the size of ones metropolitan area has not, nor will, directly correlate to the size (or the total PAX) of its airport.

[starvinggryphon]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

I hear your pain and frustration. But, it is not as easy as if you build it they will come. Funding and the FAA may get in the way of throwing a grandiose design up against the wall to see if it sticks.

I agree that SAT is outdated and needs to be more efficient - from a passenger standpoint. And that is coming.

Airside - with regard to garnering new routes, there is only so much the City can do. It's completely up to the airlines. And, they must believe they can clear a specific margin on their investment to do so. San Antonio's metrics are different from every other metro in the U.S. So, saying: "If XYZ has this, so should we" is not a fair, or solid argument.

Additionally, the size of ones metropolitan area has not, nor will, directly correlate to the size (or the total PAX) of its airport.

Excellent points!

I can't wait to see what this year's passenger totals will eventually be. I've actually had to start showing up a little earlier than the hour it use to take to get my bags checked and in through security with sufficient time.

[AI0120]

Beginning June 1, Aeromexico is bringing back mainline from Mexico City to SAT. Flight will be operated on a Boeing 737-800, though the website still shows pending government approval. Aeromexico will now have 3 daily MEX-SAT flights, 1 on maineline and the other 2 on Aeromexico Connect.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by AI0120

Beginning June 1, Aeromexico is bringing back mainline from Mexico City to SAT. Flight will be operated on a Boeing 737-800, though the website still shows pending government approval. Aeromexico will now have 3 daily MEX-SAT flights, 1 on maineline and the other 2 on Aeromexico Connect.

Funny you mention that...I was driving by the airport today and saw 2 aeromexico jets and two of the Volaris. I forgot how many daily flights SAT has going to/from Mexico.

[AI0120]

SAT is making an announcement tomorrow regarding new routes.

https://twitter.com/SATairport/statu...93900911673345

No word if it's gonna be a new airline, but if I had to guess, it'd be Breeze Airways. They are announcing their new routes tomorrow and have stated they want to fly "point-to-point between small and mid-sized unserved and underserved cities."

Only difference though is Breeze begins announcing their routes at 8AM ET. SAT announcement is 4PM ET.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by AI0120

SAT is making an announcement tomorrow regarding new routes.

https://twitter.com/SATairport/statu...93900911673345

No word if it's gonna be a new airline, but if I had to guess, it'd be Breeze Airways. They are announcing their new routes tomorrow and have stated they want to fly "point-to-point between small and mid-sized unserved and underserved cities."

Only difference though is Breeze begins announcing their routes at 8AM ET. SAT announcement is 4PM ET.

isn't Breeze going to be using college kids as flight attendants or something like that...a work study program?

[AI0120]

Originally Posted by Tornado

isn't Breeze going to be using college kids as flight attendants or something like that...a work study program?

Think they wanted to do that, but they experienced lower than expected recruitment numbers, so they opened up positions to anybody.

[AI0120]

Does appear to be Breeze Airways though. Nothing official yet, but flights are able to be booked through their website.

Nonstop flights to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Bentonville Arkansas all are available beginning July 15th. All flights operate 4 times a week on E190 aircraft.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by AI0120

Does appear to be Breeze Airways though. Nothing official yet, but flights are able to be booked through their website.

Nonstop flights to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Bentonville Arkansas all are available beginning July 15th. All flights operate 4 times a week on E190 aircraft.

exciting to be with Breeze from the jump. With David Neeleman at the helm, this one may have a chance. Would be cool to see an addition of New Orleans & Memphis eventually.

[ILUVSAT]

This is cool news. I too am interested in their plan for SAT. Breeze has a very interesting business model.

They're initial focus cities seem to be Charleston (CHS), Tampa (TPA), New Orleans (MSY) and Norfolk (ORF). It also looks like longer-distance routes will be announced this fall when Breeze takes delivery of their first A220's (which will be used on routes longer than 2 hours).

[Tyrone Shoes]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade and in this time of The Covid any airline addition is a good sign but scuttlebutt says the cities chosen for this round of Breeze flights has a lot to do with a non-compete clause allowing a David Neeleman run airline at a certain number of WestJet and JetBlue airports.
Don't get me wrong the choice of San Antonio for this is a huge coup and needs to be supported by ticket purchases!

my humble opinion....

[DomInSATX]

Wouldn't that be public information like his non-compete with Southwest for five years after he was fired there? I can't imagine any court upholding a non-compete going on 14 years in an industry with so little competition.

[texboy]

Just played around on the Breeze website, and it appears that at least some of these flights are selling really well, nearly sold out.

[SATXHighrise]

Recent KSAT article details some upcoming improvements to SAT airport including the addition of gates to Terminals A & B. I am not sure how this timeline affects the larger expansion plans and/or if there is any overlap. Can anyone provide additional details?


https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021...-improvements/

[ILUVSAT]

It's a stopgap maneuver. They're looking at adding one gate to A and two to B (which have been apart of the current cap improvement plan). This project has very little (if anything) to do with the forthcoming new master plan and its implementation.