San Antonio International Airport News & Updates

[ILUVSAT]

Have they increased frequencies? Maybe they downsized the equipment but added an additional flight (resulting in a net increase of available seats) for the Holidays?!?

[AI0120]

VivaAerobus and Allegiant apply to form an alliance.

Of note, when (if) the alliance happens, they intend to launch San Antonio to Merida and Cancun. Later, they seem interested in adding SAT-Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. But won't be happening anytime soon. They intend to operate these routes in 2031.

Anyone with the time, it's nearly 70 pages.
https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-2021-0152-0001

Reference SAT-MSP, the schedule for this Monday, December 6, shows 2x Airbus 319 aircraft. Used to be 3x daily IIRC.

[cole world11]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Have they increased frequencies? Maybe they downsized the equipment but added an additional flight (resulting in a net increase of available seats) for the Holidays?!?

Unfortunately not. Same frequencies of 2x daily.

[texboy]

Not HUGE news here, SW announced this morning OKC as a 4 times weekly service starting in April. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they served this route pre-pandemic. Interesting that Breeze just recently dropped this route. Who knows. Active routes (both year round and seasonal) is back to 42 once this goes active which I believe is pre-pandemic level of destinations served. Not all the same routes of course. Would like to see Portland come back and maybe snag another Mountain West destination like Boise or another Midwest destination like Cinci or Indy, which would give SAT pretty solid non-stop coverage across the country.

[babysal]

SA is chasing — and landing — more nonstop flights
Southwest Airlines is the latest carrier to expand service to and from San Antonio International Airport

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

As San Antonio begins work on what may be a $2 billion airport expansion and improvements project, the pursuit of additional air service has become crucial — and more airlines are buying into the pitch.

The latest is Southwest Airlines, which is adding new nonstop flights from San Antonio International Airport to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

The Dallas-based carrier is now offering business and leisure travelers service between the two cities on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flights will depart Oklahoma City for San Antonio at 7 a.m. each day and will fly out of the Alamo City to Oklahoma City at 10 a.m.

The airline will use 143-seat 737-700 aircraft for the new flights.

“Southwest Airlines continues to be our largest carrier,” said Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the San Antonio Airport System. “We are happy to see the airline continue grow in our city.”

San Antonio International Airport has nonstop flights to 41 destinations. That number is expected to grow.

This latest win comes less than a month after San Antonio’s City Council approved a 20-year, strategic airport development plan.

“We are hopeful and anticipate further growth announcements early next year,” Brian Pratte, chief air services development officer for the City of San Antonio, said.

One of the city’s more recent wins was JetBlue Airways, which entered the market this fall, launching service to Boston and New York in late October.

It was Pratte’s persistence that helped lure JetBlue. He began courting the company since his arrival here five years ago.

Southwest officials have made it clear that the Alamo City is a key market for the airline as the company looks to expand its reach post pandemic.

“San Antonio is important to us,” Harvey said. “We're plugged in to Visit San Antonio. We're plugged in with the airport, with the business community,” said Dave Harvey, vice president of Southwest Business, which oversees corporate travel for the carrier.

Pratte suggests the Southwest win a precursor to more gains as San Antonio will remain aggressive heading into the new year.

“We are always in active discussions with our airline partners,” he said.

[texboy]

Maybe there's some momentum going on here?

Southwest expands San Antonio nonstop service to Mexican vacation destination

Days after announcing service to a brand-new city, Southwest is back with good news for San Antonio travelers. Beginning this summer, the Dallas-based airline will expand daily service to a popular Mexican vacation destination.

Beginning on June 5, 2022, the carrier will now offer a daily nonstop flight from San Antonio International Airport to Cancun International Airport, according to a news release. Currently, Southwest only flies from SAT to CUN on Saturdays.

[satx23]

October Passenger Stats

Domestic Enplanements: 349,006
Domestic Deplanements: 343,794
Total Domestic Passengers: 692,800

International Enplanements: 28,132
International Deplanements: 34,119

Total International Passengers: 62,251

Total August Passengers: 755,051

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-OCT-Stats.pdf

[texboy]

Austin, San Antonio international airports to receive major upgrades

City officials said more than 10 million passengers traveled through SAIA in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, though the total dropped to 4 million passengers in 2020. Passenger numbers are projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 with 15 million passengers expected to pass through annually by 2040, according to city officials.

I cannot be the only person on this forum that believes that SAT will hit '15M by 2040'.... If you said 20M by 2040, maybe. BUT SAT will more than likely hit 10M again or at least get very close this year if demand is what they say its going to be. Furthermore, they want to START construction by 2027 on C... I'm very concerned for this airport. My prediction is that this airport will be busting at the seams by 2027 and they're going to have to hard stand a ton of flights. Its going to be 15M by 2030 no doubt. Gotta love short sighted bureaucrats.

[satx23]

November Passenger Stats

Domestic Enplanements: 364,459
Domestic Deplanements: 346,911
Total Domestic Passengers: 711,370

International Enplanements: 26,456
International Deplanements: 26,570

Total International Passengers: 53,026

Total August Passengers: 764,396

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2021-NOV-Stats.pdf

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by texboy

Its going to be 15M by 2030 no doubt.

I'm not sold on "by 2030." That would require more than a 5.5% increase in average annual PAX. However, I do think SAT will hit the 15 million mark before 2040, easily. Probably before 2035.

Regardless on terminal redevelopment/expansion - SAT needs to get moving on extending at least one runway - and now. AUS just landed another European route. Virgin Atlantic will begin 4x weekly from LHR in May. BA has already started back and KLM is beginning in March. No word yet on Lufthansa's resumption. I expect an Asian route to be announced prior to 2024. I fear SAT is falling too far behind to become an intercontinental player.


EDIT: Just saw that Lufthansa is planning a March return to AUS.

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

I'm not sold on "by 2030." That would require more than a 5.5% increase in average annual PAX. However, I do think SAT will hit the 15 million mark before 2040, easily. Probably before 2035.

Regardless on terminal redevelopment/expansion - SAT needs to get moving on extending at least one runway - and now. AUS just landed another European route. Virgin Atlantic will begin 4x weekly from LHR in May. BA has already started back and KLM is beginning in March. No word yet on Lufthansa's resumption. I expect an Asian route to be announced prior to 2024. I fear SAT is falling too far behind to become an intercontinental player.

I'd be surprised if we end up getting anything besides Frankfurt and London. Even London seems like a stretch to me. I'm not sure what the demand for a flight like that would be. Austin is dusting us at this point lol. Maybe better off trying for Central/South America, but again, not sure if there's a market for it.

[DomInSATX]

There seems to be significant demand for San Antonio to South America flights. LATAM and Aeromexico have a codeshare on routes from Brazil, Columbia, Chile and Peru to 11 US airports. Flights from those counties have a layover in MEX and continue to the US. SAT is one of the 11 US cities included in the agreement.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/29/bre...d-latam-apply-to-codeshare-on-us-routes/
*The codeshare has since been approved from the time the this story was published.

If anyone recalls, during city council meetings, Mr Saenz did say that the time tables could be moved up and it looks like the city council is pushing for projects to start sooner. Its very possible that runway expansion and the construction start on Terminal C will happen sooner than expected. Next month is also the Routes Americas 2022, fingers crossed that some new flights are announced for SAT during that time.

Some positive news, several local businesses have started to restore business travel budgets for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Passenger numbers should start looking less anemic.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by DomInSATX

There seems to be significant demand for San Antonio to South America flights. LATAM and Aeromexico have a codeshare on routes from Brazil, Columbia, Chile and Peru to 11 US airports. Flights from those counties have a layover in MEX and continue to the US. SAT is one of the 11 US cities included in the agreement.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/29/bre...d-latam-apply-to-codeshare-on-us-routes/
*The codeshare has since been approved from the time the this story was published.

I do not believe there is currently "significant demand" for routes directly to South America from SAT. There was no data to support that in the article. And, I have not seen any anywhere else.

If there was truly "significant demand," there would be direct flights to South America Fromm SAT (bypassing the need for a stop at MEX). Funneling a few daily passengers, from various destinations in South America, at MEX, doesn't really mean there is enough demand to initiate a N/S route to GRU, SCL, or EZE.

Having said that, I'd like to see SAT begin to develop more relationships like this one and get ahead of AUS. Austin-Bergstrom has already moved into the Caribbean and Central America (offering routes to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica). It's not too long before they'll be offering a flight to GRU, SCL or EZE.

[theOGalexd]

I just remembered I took this back in 2017 flying back from Atlanta. I'm assuming this is one of those flights that stopped over in Atlanta and went on to SA? If that's the case, seems like there's a demand but maybe it's something to do with runway length. I think Frankfurt would be the first Europe flight we get because of the military.

[SproutingTowers]

I believe the long haul flights are mostly based upon business travelers from HQs. Austin is continuing to get large and small companies relocating there. Meta, Dell, Apple, Oracle, Tesla and etc like to have direct flights to their customers. Austin knew this could be a driving force when they relocated the airport to Bergstrom AFB. After 22 years it has paid off and has 4x the land to expand versus SAT.

San Antonio decades ago should have purchased more land and not let private industry claim parcels within the airport boundaries. Even worse AUS has been getting a steady stream of revenue from cargo during this pandemic where Amazon and others are landing at Kelly. Amazon at AUS is constructing a large 3 plane cargo center and future plans for a massive cargo center to support 21 planes. The best start for SAT is to rebuild the terminals, provide lower fees for airlines, and then figure out how/if the runways can be lengthened.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by SproutingTowers

I believe the long haul flights are mostly based upon business travelers from HQs. Austin is continuing to get large and small companies relocating there. Meta, Dell, Apple, Oracle, Tesla and etc like to have direct flights to their customers. Austin knew this could be a driving force when they relocated the airport to Bergstrom AFB. After 22 years it has paid off and has 4x the land to expand versus SAT.

San Antonio decades ago should have purchased more land and not let private industry claim parcels within the airport boundaries. Even worse AUS has been getting a steady stream of revenue from cargo during this pandemic where Amazon and others are landing at Kelly. Amazon at AUS is constructing a large 3 plane cargo center and future plans for a massive cargo center to support 21 planes. The best start for SAT is to rebuild the terminals, provide lower fees for airlines, and then figure out how/if the runways can be lengthened.

Trend I am concerned about...

November 2021 numbers:
AUS = 1.59 million PAX (3rd highest monthly total ever without most of their wide-body international flights back)
SAT = 0.76 million PAX

These airports can no longer fairly be compared on the same level. What do we need to maximize SAT's growth potential? Or, are we already doing it?

[pr57001]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Trend I am concerned about...

November 2021 numbers:
AUS = 1.59 million PAX (3rd highest monthly total ever without most of their wide-body international flights back)
SAT = 0.76 million PAX

These airports can no longer fairly be compared on the same level. What do we need to maximize SAT's growth potential? Or, are we already doing it?

Austin’s airport is booming because Austin is booming, not the other way around. Austin’s trajectory is beyond compare to most US metros. I think it’s a good fact that SAT is close to being back to 10M passengers on an annualized basis.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by pr57001

Austin’s airport is booming because Austin is booming, not the other way around. Austin’s trajectory is beyond compare to most US metros. I think it’s a good fact that SAT is close to being back to 10M passengers on an annualized basis.

In no way was I insinuating that Austin's growth was due to AUS' growth. In fact, I cannot think of any situation where that would ever be the case.

I'm just concerned with AUS lapping SAT and making it harder for SAT to land intercontinental flights (due to the airport's proximity to AUS).

[kingkirbythe....]

American Airlines cuts 33 flights from San Antonio in March

https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/American-Airlines-San-Antonio-airport-16804073.php

As part of an effort to reduce service nationwide, American Airlines is slashing 33 flights out of San Antonio International Airport that had been scheduled for March.

The airline cut nonstop flights to Los Angeles to one per day from twice daily, airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope said Tuesday.

That amounts to about one flight per day, American spokesman Brian Metham said in an email. “Our team has worked to ensure that the number of customers affected by these changes is minimal.”

Before the pandemic, American said it offered nearly 6,700 flights per day nationwide. After adjusting the schedule for March, it will average about 5,400, Metham said.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

American Airlines cuts 33 flights from San Antonio in March

https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/American-Airlines-San-Antonio-airport-16804073.php

As part of an effort to reduce service nationwide, American Airlines is slashing 33 flights out of San Antonio International Airport that had been scheduled for March.

The airline cut nonstop flights to Los Angeles to one per day from twice daily, airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope said Tuesday.

That amounts to about one flight per day, American spokesman Brian Metham said in an email. “Our team has worked to ensure that the number of customers affected by these changes is minimal.”

Before the pandemic, American said it offered nearly 6,700 flights per day nationwide. After adjusting the schedule for March, it will average about 5,400, Metham said.

"...at the same time, American continues its mass service expansion from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in announcing new service to Cozumel & Montego Bay this past week."