Austin Bergstrom Airport outlines multibillion‑dollar 'Journey with AUS' expansion and near‑term improvements

Austin Bergstrom International Airport staff on May 14 updated the Austin Tourism Commission on the airport’s multi‑phase expansion and development program, branded "Journey with AUS," that airport leaders say is intended to increase capacity, passenger amenities and operational resilience as demand grows.

Bryce (Community Affairs, Austin Bergstrom International Airport) told commissioners the airport has experienced rapid post‑pandemic growth in available seats and passenger volumes and is operating above the original terminal’s design capacity. "Austin Bergstrom International Airport is a big part of our tourism here and driving that," Bryce said, describing the airport as the city's "front porch" and emphasizing local art and live music in passenger spaces.

What the airport presented - Background: The terminal opened about 26 years ago and was designed for roughly 11 million annual passengers; the airport added gates and facilities in 2019 to raise capacity to about 15 million. Recent years have seen usage in the low‑to‑mid 20 million annual passenger range, creating capacity pressures. - Program scope: The airport showed a multi‑project program that includes short‑term equipment and facility upgrades (baggage‑handling improvements, an international arrivals reconfiguration due for completion soon, a west‑end 3‑gate infill, and temporary hold‑room facilities) and longer‑term projects: a midfield Concourse B (20–40 gates depending on final planning), a new arrival/departure hall built on the site of the current red garage, a large parking garage replacement (Yellow garage) and utility and taxiway work that enables future concourse construction. - Timing and cost: Airport staff described a phased delivery approach. Short‑term projects are expected to come online within the next 12–18 months; longer‑term projects (Concourse B and the new arrival/departure hall) are targeted for completion in the early 2030s. Staff cited an approximate program magnitude of $4 billion for the full buildout and said designers and construction managers are under contract for many program elements. - Operational priorities: the airport highlighted projects to increase baggage processing (outbound baggage capacity to 4,000 bags per hour versus a previous 1,600 per hour), add TSA screening lanes and expand ticketing and queuing space, plus a new midfield taxiway to preserve aircraft circulation while constructing a midfield concourse.

Airport and transit coordination Airport staff said they have preserved a right‑of‑way corridor on airport property for a future light rail connection and are coordinating with Austin Transit Partnership and Project Connect so an airport extension could align with the new arrival/departure footprint. The staff representative said the preserved alignment runs along the strip between the rental car facility and an existing garage and would connect to the future front door of the airport.

Commissioner questions and key points Commissioners asked about rideshare pickup, interim passenger circulation during construction, leases for airlines operating at the South Terminal (low‑cost carriers) and the timeline for closing the South Terminal. Airport staff said the South Terminal will be closed when the midfield taxiways and concourse work require that footprint; no firm closure date was set and lease timelines were described as under negotiation. Staff said rideshare and pickup areas are under redesign as part of the arrival/departure hall project and that short‑term changes should reduce walking distances for passengers even if specific curbside details remain in design.

Public‑facing cultural priorities Airport staff said art, music and local concessions are core to the terminal experience and that the airport is running open calls for national, state and local artists to supply public art for expansion projects. The airport described more than 1,000 live‑music performances a year and permanent and rotating art exhibitions as intentional elements of the passenger experience.

No formal action was taken by the commission on the airport presentation. Airport staff asked the Tourism Commission to consider the commission a resource and partner as the program advances.