text: Fast-Growing Austin-Bergstrom Airport Breaks Ground On Terminal Expansion
  Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Texas broke ground on an expansion of its main terminal, part of a broader effort to upgrade the airport to meet high growth levels.
  Traffic handled by the hub, which opened in 1999, has more than tripled over the last two decades, reflecting the fast growth of the Texas capital city and surrounding areas. The main terminal expansion project will add 84,500 ft.2 in space, including three new gates and what the airport calls “an exciting third-level outdoor public patio with amazing views of the city skyline.”
  The airport is targeting a 2026 completion for the project.
  Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, on hand at the airport for the Aug. 30 ground-breaking, said the terminal project “is just the start of a series of transformative airport projects that will modernize and improve the AUS experience for everyone.”
  "The flurry of construction activities mixed with passengers and airport operations will be a big change for our community as we make progress on this project and other expansion projects, like a new concourse, but it will be worth it,” Watson added.
  AUS handled 10.7 million passengers in the first half of 2023, up 7.5% over the first half of 2022, which was the airport’s busiest year ever. Southwest Airlines is the leading carrier at the airport.
  The airport is in the midst of building a new 90,000-ft.2 air cargo facility to be completed this year. Also under construction is a new airline fuel facility, which is slated to open in 2024, and a new baggage handling system is set to be installed by 2025. The largest project on the horizon is a new concourse, though a specific timeline has not been set.
  The terminal expansion project now underway “is just the beginning of our journey to invest billions of dollars into our airport over the next decade to serve the needs of travelers and airline partners today and in generations to come, all while driving economic prosperity for our community,” AUS Chief Development Officer Somer Shindler says.
  AUS says all of the projects are being “funded through traditional airport development funding sources, such as airport cash reserves, current and future airport revenues, future revenue bond proceeds and [FAA] grants. No local Austin taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the program.”