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The Next US Mega Airport? A Look At Austin’s Incredible Growth
Austin was the US’ third-fastest-growing airport between 2011 and 2019. This year, Alaska, Allegiant, American, and JetBlue will all be larger than before coronavirus, with an additional 1.3 million seats and 23 routes between them. (simpleflying.com) More...
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Might add that pre-COVID, Austin also had non-stops to London and Frankfurt. Austin doesn’t have as many weather problems as DFW or IAH (Austin serves as a primary divert for both).
AUS is a decent airport. They've put a lot of money into it in the last few years too. Nice long runways and room to expand if needed.
@John Rogers: I was a controller at Houston Center 1991-2013, my primary traffic was Houston arrivals and departures but I also worked Austin and DFW traffic. Austin may have had many fewer weather delays from a passenger viewpoint, but we had to deal with the same weather systems, it was just a lack of volume that made it efficient. Increase the traffic and it'll be no different than any other large airport, and, the airspace is not structured to handle a large increase which is even worse. I also now live in the Austin area and (used to) fly out of AUS. We'll see what happens...
What’s a “Mega Airport”? Not defined in the article. Must be clickbait......
Right? Well, it is a Simply Flying article. The USA Today of aviation
There is no question the former Bergstrom Air Force Base's 12,000 and 9,000 feet runways and ancillary land area infrastructure, accommodated the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) conversion and expansion. In turn, the 130 Tollway highway, located just east of the (KAUS), facilitates airline passenger ingress/egress traffic from a large market area around Austin.
Texas Department of Transportation ("TXDoT") has and continues to do a great job overcoming the absence of large east/west thoroughfares across Austin and loops around Austin. Back in the seventies Austin had an environmental-controlled city council that would not participate with (TXDoT") and/or listen to long-range development proponents who anticipated Austin's growth. Now, Austin is handcuffed with traffic congestion and inherent limitations on roadway right-of-way acquisition/expansion.
Fortunately, the aviation and airline industries can alleviate some surface travel restrictions caused by shortsighted local governance.
Texas Department of Transportation ("TXDoT") has and continues to do a great job overcoming the absence of large east/west thoroughfares across Austin and loops around Austin. Back in the seventies Austin had an environmental-controlled city council that would not participate with (TXDoT") and/or listen to long-range development proponents who anticipated Austin's growth. Now, Austin is handcuffed with traffic congestion and inherent limitations on roadway right-of-way acquisition/expansion.
Fortunately, the aviation and airline industries can alleviate some surface travel restrictions caused by shortsighted local governance.
