AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by texastarkus

Now we'll have two air carriers on this route: Sun Country and Delta

Actually it will be just one air carrier. The Sun Country flights were temporary and ended August 7th

[GoldenBoot]

According to Airways Magazine (October 2010), Austin is one of Virgin America's target markets for expansion in 2011. And according to a company press release, "...the airline expects to grow by three to four additional new destinations a year from 2011-2016."

Currently, Virgin America services the markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Toronto, Orlando (starting October 6, 2010), and Dallas-Ft. Worth (December 1, 2010).

[texastarkus]

CAL is gonna get in on the act - compete with Delta

Seasonal Continental Service from Three New Cities to Cancun

In addition,Continental Airlines today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for authority to begin once-weekly nonstop service to Cancun, Mexico, from three new cities: Austin and San Antonio, Texas, and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. These Saturday services, which are subject to government approval, would begin Feb. 19, 2011. In addition, United Airlines applied for authority to place its UA* code on Continental-operated flights between these cities, further enhancing service options for customers traveling to Cancun.

Continental plans to operate the service with Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with seating for 124 customers (12 in first class and 112 in economy). Continental serves 30 destinations in Mexico, more than any other airline from the U.S.Continental currently serves Cancun 76 times weekly from its hubs in Houston, Newark and Cleveland. United currently serves Cancun 31 times weekly from Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington-Dulles.


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Delta Airlines to provide weekly service to Cancun in February
Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 5:03 pm | BNO News | Leave a Comment
By BNO News
ATLANTA, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) – Delta Airlines announced on Friday a new seasonal weekly service to Cancun, Mexico beginning next February.

The service expansion will be available in four U.S. cities, San Antonio and Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Tampa, Florida.

The new flights will depart on Saturdays, using 142-seat MD-88 aircraft, equipped with 14 seats in First Class and 128 in Economy Class.

The announcement is part of Delta's expansion in Latin America. The airline operator plans to add new flights between its hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul and Mexico City as well as between Detroit and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Delta Airlines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta offers service to 367 destinations in 65 countries on six continents.

(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected][/QUOTE]

[Mikey711MN]

A few changes and updates to AUS service on CO/UA with the upcoming cross-fleeting of the airlines...

AUS-EWR --> includes United Express E-170's (not sure if this will replace existing 737 service, although I think this is likely)

AUS-LAX --> adds new 2x daily CRJ-700 service (competes with existing n/s on AA and WN, and with B6 to nearby LGB)

Because AUS is generally well served to most UA and CO hubs, this will likely mean little new service versus changes in frequencies and equipment as both UA and CO fill in the gaps in the combined network.

[Mikey711MN]

Bad day to travel, but good day for diversions to Austin. By memory from the FIDS (as I'm here trying to depart)...

Honolulu, Seattle, Sao Paolo, Kahului, Santiago

[ATXboom]

Anyone heard any updates regarding the East terminal expansion? (match the west side size)

This was supposed to happen when passenger traffice passes 9M/annual. This has occurred and we are maintaining numbers above this figure.

I hope the city isn't robbing peter to pay paul... i.e. hopefully city owned airport budgets are firewalled from other city budgets and their issues. ...otherwise don't own the airport!

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Anyone heard any updates regarding the East terminal expansion? (match the west side size)

This was supposed to happen when passenger traffice passes 9M/annual. This has occurred and we are maintaining numbers above this figure.

Well, you're only half right. Yes, we surpassed the 9m/annual in 2008 (9,039,075) but we have not maintained those totals. 2009's totals were 8,220,898 and 2010 (through November) we're at 7,898,895) We'd have to have 1.1 million passengers in December alone to maintain an annual count over 9 million.

Having said that, the airport has torn down the old go-kart place and is in the process of creating more parking spaces for planes that remain overnight.

It was mentioned in this post

That project won't be finished until sometime in 2012, but it was work that would have needed to be done before the additional gates on the east end of the terminal could have been built. My guess is we'll hear something in 2012 as the current project nears completion.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

2010 (through November) we're at 7,898,895)

December totals were 793,327, so total 2010 was 8,692,225. It'll be a few years before we're consistently over 9 mil.

[ATXboom]

750,000+ per month will get us over 9M. Economy is on the uptick again. The totals are creeping up month by month. Its a great way to track the health of the Austin economy.

[Somnio]

Austin airport traffic up 9 percent in March
Austin Business Journal
Date: Monday, May 9, 2011, 10:19am CDT

Air traffic through Austin increased another 9 percent in March compared year over year, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reported on Monday.

A total 801,553 passengers traveled through Austin that month. Of that, about 399,305 were enplanements, which is up 10 percent from the same month last year.

....

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/05/09/austin-airport-traffic-up-9-percent-in.html

[Somnio]

Also, this from the Statesman article...

....

Separately, the Standard & Poor’s credit rating firm raised its rating on the airport’s revenue bonds from A- to A. The higher rating will enable the airport to borrow money at lower cost, said airport Executive Director Jim Smith.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...ml?cxntfid=blogs_statesman_business_blog

This is great news, because the airport is going to begin some major improvements in the near future. They're almost done with the apron expansion, which will allow construction to begin on the new terminal expansion on the east side of the airport.

Also, a new parking garage will be constructed where Lot A currently stands.

Here are a couple of PDFs detailing what's happening at ABIA. Some of these improvements have already been completed.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/smbr/downloads/DSMBRCapitalDevelopmentatABIA.pdf

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/downloads/aus_cip_report_pt1.pdf

[Armybrat]

So, no plans for general aviation expansion on the south & east sides of ABIA?

Guess Austin is going to cede that market to the "new" executive airport up at Bird's Nest in Pflugerville.

[Jdawgboy]

Im sure we will hear about terminal expansion by next year as we start getting the extra influx of people coming in for the Races at the Circuit of the Americas. We are already on the the threshold traffic level for expansion, I think that by next year it will finally push it higher to the point where they will have to do something quickly to keep up with the traffic growth.

[Somnio]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Im sure we will hear about terminal expansion by next year as we start getting the extra influx of people coming in for the Races at the Circuit of the Americas. We are already on the the threshold traffic level for expansion, I think that by next year it will finally push it higher to the point where they will have to do something quickly to keep up with the traffic growth.

Undoubtedly. The reason for the apron expansion is to allow more planes to remain overnight at the airport, but it is also necessary for the eastern expansion of the terminal. The terminal couldn't be expanded until the apron was extended. It's supposed to be complete next year.

[Austin1971]

T

[BevoLJ]

What exactly is the east apron RON expansion? I don't know much about how airports work other than how to find my plane and if I'm lucky my luggage when I get to my destination. =)

[hookem]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

What exactly is the east apron RON expansion? I don't know much about how airports work other than how to find my plane and if I'm lucky my luggage when I get to my destination. =)

RON = Remain Over Night (I think)

It's basically an expansion to allow more commercial airliners to park overnight. Lets them have more flexibility in scheduling service to/from Austin.

[BevoLJ]

Right on. Thank you for the explanation.

[the Genral]

It also makes it one step closer to the planned terminal expansion.

[BevoLJ]

Ah, ok. Ya that was what I was wondering. If it was a part of that terminal expansion plan.