San Antonio International Airport News & Updates

[satx23]

Airport officials will present the airport strategic development plan to city council this afternoon in the "b" session. Presentation will start at 2.

https://www.sanantonio.gov/TVSA/liveontheweb#267051304-city-council--public-meetings

[babysal]

[IMG][/IMG]

[jaga185]

I'm excited about this plan. I just hope they fix the roof and make it look a little more like that one rendering with the white cloud-looking roof.

[satx23]

Video of the City Council briefing yesterday.

https://sanantoniotx.new.swagit.com/videos/148042

[AwesomeSAView]

Originally Posted by satx23

Video of the City Council briefing yesterday.

https://sanantoniotx.new.swagit.com/videos/148042

Mayor Nirenberg:

"Let's put the pencils down and pick up the shovels!"
Great plan!!!!

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

Mayor Nirenberg:

"Let's put the pencils down and pick up the shovels!"
Great plan!!!!

I like the percieved attitude. Next steps...FAA approval & financing.

Great start. Long way to go. Hope the city keeps its head down and continues to plow forward on this .

[FightOn!]

Looks like JetBlue will officially take over the JFK-SAT route from American. They will no longer be operating that route.

Hopefully we see FLL/LAX service in the future.

[AI0120]

Breeze Airways is ending SAT-OKC/TUL later this month leaving them only on SAT-XNA. Sad to see AA leave the JFK route, but I saw that coming miles away. Hopefully DL eventually restarts that route again. AA seems content with streaming passengers through DFW.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by AI0120

Breeze Airways is ending SAT-OKC/TUL later this month leaving them only on SAT-XNA. Sad to see AA leave the JFK route, but I saw that coming miles away. Hopefully DL eventually restarts that route again. AA seems content with streaming passengers through DFW.

Those Breeze routes were never going to be winners even though I hoped they would last. Curious to the reasons against a SAT-MSY flight with them.


Losing flights is never great but we are working towards a great revamp of our airport. I really hope they do some sort of eye catching airport tower since they are going to have to build a new one according to the plan.

[theOGalexd]

seeing how many new directs Austin is getting vs us losing them is just painful lol

[texboy]

Originally Posted by AI0120

Breeze Airways is ending SAT-OKC/TUL later this month leaving them only on SAT-XNA. Sad to see AA leave the JFK route, but I saw that coming miles away. Hopefully DL eventually restarts that route again. AA seems content with streaming passengers through DFW.

These routes weren't going to be successful from the get go on Breeze. Not enough business travelers between the two (at least in the current climate) frankly. And to touch on AA to JFK route, they are content letting JetBlue handle that through the NEA, so really haven't lost a route on that. I see DL coming back with JFK eventually as its a big connection airport to Europe and in time that passenger will return in higher numbers to SAT.

The airport and city do see that future businesses relocating will bring future demand and that being in close proximity to Austin will eventually be a boon to the SA business/tech scene as more companies will see the attractiveness of cheaper rents/real estate in SA and still being close to the talent coming out of UT and the VC's funding the startups there. So its good that we are building out a beautiful new airport as I do believe it will be needed (already is).... but again... if SA wants more direct routes, you have to have the business travelers to sustain them, and a monied population to fill the rest of the seats for leisure.

[satx23]

September Passenger Stats

Domestic Enplanements: 303,036
Domestic Deplanements: 309,337

Total Domestic Passengers: 612,373

International Enplanements: 25,118
International Deplanements: 30,856

Total International Passengers: 55,974

Total August Passengers: 668,347

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-SEP-Stats.pdf

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by AI0120

Breeze Airways is ending SAT-OKC/TUL later this month leaving them only on SAT-XNA. Sad to see AA leave the JFK route, but I saw that coming miles away. Hopefully DL eventually restarts that route again. AA seems content with streaming passengers through DFW.

• Video Link

[Tyrone Shoes]

Originally Posted by satx23

September Passenger Stats

Domestic Enplanements: 303,036
Domestic Deplanements: 309,337

Total Domestic Passengers: 612,373

International Enplanements: 25,118
International Deplanements: 30,856

Total International Passengers: 55,974

Total August Passengers: 668,347

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-SEP-Stats.pdf

Very reasonable post pandemic numbers. They'll only increase with time.

[kingkirbythe....]

City Council approves 2040 airport strategic plan

https://sanantonioreport.org/city-council-approves-2040-airport-strategic-plan/

City Council members on Thursday unanimously approved a strategic plan for the San Antonio International Airport that envisions the facility’s next 20 years.

[texboy]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

City Council approves 2040 airport strategic plan

https://sanantonioreport.org/city-council-approves-2040-airport-strategic-plan/

City Council members on Thursday unanimously approved a strategic plan for the San Antonio International Airport that envisions the facility’s next 20 years.

My fave line from this...

Though Thursday marked the formal OK of the strategic plan, Saenz said the airport was already making big moves. Last week, the airport welcomed the arrival of two pizza vending machines, the first in any airport in the country.

Whoa... don't get TOO crazy too fast there buddy.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by texboy

And to touch on AA to JFK route, they are [bcontent/b] letting JetBlue handle that through the NEA, so really haven't lost a route on that. I see DL coming back with JFK eventually as its a big connection airport to Europe and in time that passenger will return in higher numbers to SAT.

If AA saw the SAT-JFK route as profitable, they would not have dropped it. No business is "content" in surrendering revenue to another company. Code sharing/partnering with one another doesn't mean they split revenue. Also, if the route is lost...it's lost. JetBlue is not (currently) expanding JFK service. And, I don't think DL is going to start that route anytime soon - especially if another legacy airline just dropped it.

Originally Posted by texboy

The airport and city do see that future businesses relocating will bring future demand and that being in close proximity to Austin will eventually be a boon to the SA business/tech scene as more companies will see the attractiveness of cheaper rents/real estate in SA and still being close to the talent coming out of UT and the VC's funding the startups there. So its good that we are building out a beautiful new airport as I do believe it will be needed (already is).... but again... if SA wants more direct routes, you have to have the business travelers to sustain them, and a monied population to fill the rest of the seats for leisure.

Austin's economic growth + its airport expansion and flight offerings actually will have a negative affect on SAT. Businesses are not going to fly their employees through SAT & transport them 80+ miles to Austin. Leisure travelers to the region (who plan on visiting both cities) will find it cheaper to fly through AUS. More flights, more options equal cheaper seats.

UT grads, who choose to stay in the region, are not leaving Austin. Thus, that does not help San Antonio's pool of qualified workers.

Austin & S.A. is not similar to Dallas-Ft. Worth. And it won't be. They're too far apart geographically.

[Runner]

Quote:
Though Thursday marked the formal OK of the strategic plan, Saenz said the airport was already making big moves. Last week, the airport welcomed the arrival of two pizza vending machines, the first in any airport in the country.

WOW JUST WOW! Meanwhile in Austin......

[babysal]

Passenger traffic in the Alamo City much closer to where it was pre-pandemic


By W. Scott Bailey – Senior Reporter, San Antonio Business Journal

Multiple airlines are increasing their presence at San Antonio International Airport as local officials work to expand air travel to and from the Alamo City.

That heightened investment comes as SAT inches closer to the record passenger volumes it was experiencing prior to the pandemic.

In September, American Airlines showed its confidence in the market, adding 8% more seat capacity compared to its flight schedule for the same month in 2019.

Other carriers are making similar commitments, including Southwest Airlines, which bumped up capacity and frequency to key Texas markets including Dallas and El Paso.

SAT has also benefitted from United Airlines’ decision to resume nonstop service from San Antonio to Newark and San Francisco. And Sun Country has made a similar decision regarding seasonal service from San Antonio to Las Vegas, according to local airport officials.

As a result, the passenger count at SAT in September topped 668,300 — up nearly 141% from the same month in 2020. In fact, that September 2021 traffic was off by only 18.3% from the same month in 2019 despite some lingering concerns about Covid-19.

Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the San Antonio Airport System, said as airlines have increased their commitment to the city, local officials have worked to drive up consumer confidence.

“It's about ensuring that our passengers feel safe as they come into our airport facilities,” Saenz told me.

Meanwhile, more carriers are adding service to and from San Antonio that will likely continue to drive up traffic. Airport officials said Delta Airlines, for example, has added seats to Los Angeles and Minneapolis, taking capacity to 93% of where it was in the market prior to the pandemic.

Year to date, nearly 5.2 million passengers have flown into or out of SAT. That’s a 72.6% increase over the same period a year ago.

[cole world11]

Originally Posted by babysal

Passenger traffic in the Alamo City much closer to where it was pre-pandemic


By W. Scott Bailey – Senior Reporter, San Antonio Business Journal

Multiple airlines are increasing their presence at San Antonio International Airport as local officials work to expand air travel to and from the Alamo City.

That heightened investment comes as SAT inches closer to the record passenger volumes it was experiencing prior to the pandemic.

In September, American Airlines showed its confidence in the market, adding 8% more seat capacity compared to its flight schedule for the same month in 2019.

Other carriers are making similar commitments, including Southwest Airlines, which bumped up capacity and frequency to key Texas markets including Dallas and El Paso.

SAT has also benefitted from United Airlines’ decision to resume nonstop service from San Antonio to Newark and San Francisco. And Sun Country has made a similar decision regarding seasonal service from San Antonio to Las Vegas, according to local airport officials.

As a result, the passenger count at SAT in September topped 668,300 — up nearly 141% from the same month in 2020. In fact, that September 2021 traffic was off by only 18.3% from the same month in 2019 despite some lingering concerns about Covid-19.

Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the San Antonio Airport System, said as airlines have increased their commitment to the city, local officials have worked to drive up consumer confidence.

“It's about ensuring that our passengers feel safe as they come into our airport facilities,” Saenz told me.

Meanwhile, more carriers are adding service to and from San Antonio that will likely continue to drive up traffic. Airport officials said Delta Airlines, for example, has added seats to Los Angeles and Minneapolis, taking capacity to 93% of where it was in the market prior to the pandemic.

Year to date, nearly 5.2 million passengers have flown into or out of SAT. That’s a 72.6% increase over the same period a year ago.

I just booked my flights back home yesterday for the Christmas holiday and noticed both flights from/to MSP are on E175s as opposed to the 220s and 319s that have been on that route for some time now. FULL flights both ways but smaller equipment nonetheless. I hope it's just a seasonal tweak.

Anybody know how the Jetblue flights are doing?