Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdawgboy
Realistically how many more routes can be added with our current gate situation? (not counting the airlines that will be using the south terminal)
Even with the gates currently in use by Allegiant and Frontier, that doesn't leave a whole lot of room especially if Southwest Airlines is trying to hog them all for themselves.
It's going to take 2 years for the east terminal expansion to be completed and it hasn't even begun yet so that brings up the question of what other carriers that don't currently serve Austin could be added before the terminal expansion is complete? Hawaiian has been mentioned as a possibility but if anyone could name a few others as I'm not as familiar with the different carriers other than the main ones I hear about the most.
As far as any other future international routes are concerned I'm assuming there is enough room with our current international gate set up to add a few more routes especially since the new customs and check point area is in operation.
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If airlines don't mind sharing gates or can maximize gate usage to lose a gate (unlikely), it can happen. Southwest has 6 gates and usually has a few gates available for use during the day until an arrival takes it (but occasionally a 737 will have to wait for a plane to push-back). I doubt Southwest would want to share, considering their behavior over at Love Field.
If desperate enough for extra service, passengers can de-plane on the tarmac and get bused into the terminal (if that's possible). It's not a radical idea at all, and the weather here is usually mild (but hot), unlike O'Hare, so it wouldn't be much of a problem for the passengers. Bergstrom has plenty of space available.
No Mexican route has ever lasted very long, so probably not a Mexican airline. Viva shouldn't have pulled away permanently for a temporary... pandemic, although I'm not sure about their passenger numbers prior to ending service. If Viva Aerobus did a seasonal to Monterrey (specifically December), the flights will be rather full.