AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

I found this information on another board.

For international traffic, there is a recent Brookings Institute report that was recently released, and has 2011 O&D pax traffic for top U.S. metro areas to/from ex-border destinations. Here is the site below.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/aviation

it opens with the NYC metro area, but up near the top if you see

"Click here to choose a different metro area"

then a pulldown menu will give the option to the data of the Top 90 U.S. metro areas.

International travel to and from: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

2003 - 427,931
2011 - 527,373* (up 23.2% from 2003)

* includes international departures and arrivals.

Scroll down that page a little more and it gives the world region share of passengers. Looks like like Latin America/Caribbean, Western Europe, and North America (Mexico & Canada?) are the top three regions.

Austin ranked 34th out of 90 metro areas for international travelers. 1.8% of international travelers flew nonstop to/from Austin, and the rest made a transfer along the way.

Compare that to San Antonio. They had 556,600 international passengers in 2011 and ranked 33rd out of 90 metro areas for international travelers, but 23.9% of their international travelers flew nonstop, while the rest made a transfer along the way (because they have a lot more international flights than we do.)

Very interesting. Thanks for posting the report. I never thought that SA and Austin were virtually equal with regard to total international passengers. Imagine if Austin opens up more N/S international routes...

However, I have not analyzed the report fully; but, initially, if you look at the numbers from a 50M-foot view, there may be a reason that neither one of these cities has a direct (N/S) route to Europe, Asia, and/or South America. The demand does not seem to be there. Both AUS and SAT are realizing an average annual growth rate of 3.3% & 2.6%, respectively, in total international traffic. This progression (over the past 7 years) only rates them in the low-to-mid-30's of all the major metropolitan areas in the U.S.!

The news (data) does not seem to be very positive in terms of hoping for more N/S international flights (specifically, intercontinental) into and out-of both AUS and SAT. That is now up to aggressive marketing/business development offices of each airport AND the airlines.

Being surrounded by DFW and IAH does not help the cause. American (with or without the merger) will maintain a massive hub at DFW and United already maintains a huge hub at IAH. Neither one of these airlines are eager to begin N/S, intercontinental service out of AUS or SAT. They both work on the hub-spoke system of routes.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Are they talking about Austin Executive Airport with this article, or ABIA?

ABIA.

ABIA among dozens of Texas airports that could be hit by federal funding cuts
Austin American Statesman
February 22, 2013

Federal officials say Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is on a list of 25 Texas airports that could see their air traffic control centers close or have operating hours reduced if automatic federal spending cuts take effect next week. Overnight shifts could be eliminated at ABIA’s air traffic control tower, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

[SNIP]

The FAA told ABIA officials that the airport made the cutback list because it has fewer than four flights per hour during the overnight period, Halbrook said. Other details haven’t yet been filled in, he said.

“I still need to get a better idea on what the full impact would be,” Halbrook said. “Certainly the predominance of our flights fall outside of those (overnight) hours.”

Private and commercial flights are both legally allowed to use an airport even when the control tower is not operating, according to FAA rules.

[Austin1971]

S

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Also surveying has begun at FBO Atlantic for Michael Dell's hanger for his B 787 Dreamliner.

Ok, I know this is a stupid question, but... for non-aviation types: What is FBO Atlantic? And is this serious?

[Austin1971]

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[Austin1971]

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[Austin1971]

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[KevinFromTexas]

There are two 747s parked on the cargo tarmac at ABIA. I snapped a few pics from the highway. I'll have another chance to do so tomorrow also. It's the National Cargo and Atlas Airlines planes.

[KevinFromTexas]

Atlas Airlines and National Airlines 747s parked at ABIA today.

[the Genral]

Are these parked near the cargo area?

[KevinFromTexas]

Yes. They were parked on the tarmac behind the cargo buildings near 71. The Atlas Airlines one flew out sometime last night or early this morning. Anyway, these are the biggest airline jets to land at ABIA. There have been other 747s before, mostly notably Air Force One and NASA's shuttle piggyback, but I'm not sure there have been commercial 747s at the airport before, other than for Formula 1.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Atlas Airlines and National Airlines 747s parked at ABIA today.

Looks like those planes are staring at each other for a showdown lol

[KevinFromTexas]

They're both gone now. The Atlas one left sometime either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. And the National one flew out Sunday night.

[texboy]

I need to take a picture of the Lufthansa A380 parked at the gate at Houston IAH next to these 747's when I fly out of IAH. That thing put's 747's to shame! Its incredible...

[texastarkus]

Not Sure Where This Goes:
1. ABIA page of this forum
2. Transportation page of this forum
3. Create a STUPID IDEA page of this forum


from the Austin American Statesman:
City ponders leasing airport to raise rail cash


Austin could lease its airport to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for urban rail under a proposal that Mayor Lee Leffingwell and top city officials have been quietly exploring for more than six months.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/city-ponders-leasing-airport-to-raise-rail-cash/nXXGH/

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I'm thinking this should go under STUPID IDEA

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Yes. They were parked on the tarmac behind the cargo buildings near 71. The Atlas Airlines one flew out sometime last night or early this morning. Anyway, these are the biggest airline jets to land at ABIA. There have been other 747s before, mostly notably Air Force One and NASA's shuttle piggyback, but I'm not sure there have been commercial 747s at the airport before, other than for Formula 1.

Scheduled commercial...no. Charter, yes. Last year there was a B744 parked at Gate 2. It departed for São Paulo just after November's F1 race. Not sure if one or more arrived at Gate 2 prior to the race.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by texastarkus

Not Sure Where This Goes:
1. ABIA page of this forum
2. Transportation page of this forum
3. Create a STUPID IDEA page of this forum


from the Austin American Statesman:
City ponders leasing airport to raise rail cash


Austin could lease its airport to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for urban rail under a proposal that Mayor Lee Leffingwell and top city officials have been quietly exploring for more than six months.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/city-ponders-leasing-airport-to-raise-rail-cash/nXXGH/

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I'm thinking this should go under STUPID IDEA

Actually, it depends... Most airports across the planet do far more than ABIA in achieving new revenue streams. However, should ABIA discover more revenue-creating ventures, I would be all for it as long as ALL of the funds raised go back into ABIA development. I'd have to learn more about this robbing Peter to pay Paul idea to completely judge it as "stupid."

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Most airports across the planet do far more than ABIA in achieving new revenue streams. However, should ABIA discover more revenue-creating ventures, I would be all for it as long as ALL of the funds raised go back into ABIA development.

That's just it, though. If the City decides to lease the airport to a private firm, that would create a new revenue stream, but none of the money would go back into ABIA development. It would be used for light rail. And it wouldn't initially be used for light rail to the airport, according to the Austin Business Journal.

How Austin's airport could advance urban rail

City officials have said the 5.5-mile first phase — which would run between downtown and the University of Texas with the possibility of connecting to the Mueller development in East Austin — could be built for $550 million.

The American Statesman noted:

The larger 16.5-mile system, which would run down East Riverside Drive to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, was estimated in 2010 to cost $1.3 billion in the years that it was planned to be built. The city hasn’t provided an updated figure since then.

The American Statesman article also added

The report doesn’t address the key issue of using airport revenue for city needs outside the 4,000-acre airport property. Currently, the city under federal law may use airport profits — typically generated through parking fees and airport concessions — only to make improvements at Austin-Bergstrom. Leffingwell said that no such prohibition applies in the case of up-front payments from a company under a long-term lease.

“My understanding is you could spend it on anything,” Leffingwell said. He added, however, that he favors using any such payments only on transportation projects.

“I would be the first guy to block the door if someone suggested putting the money in the general fund” to cover day-to-day city spending, he said.

That's what he says now, but who's to say he won't change his mind later? Plus, he's not going to be mayor forever. Who's to say the next mayor won't allow this money to go into the City's general fund?

BTW, this whole idea was brought to the mayor by Jim Smith, the aviation director. Based on your past criticisms of him, I'm surprised you'd support anything that was his idea.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Scheduled commercial...no. Charter, yes. Last year there was a B744 parked at Gate 2. It departed for São Paulo just after November's F1 race. Not sure if one or more arrived at Gate 2 prior to the race.

There was some huge cargo jet at the airport a year or so ago also. I can't remember what it was, but it was huge.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

That's what he says now, but who's to say he won't change his mind later? Plus, he's not going to be mayor forever. Who's to say the next mayor won't allow this money to go into the City's general fund?

All the more reason to do this now, and spend the money on rail. If you do so, the large lump sum is spent on construction, and any residuals are spent on the operating expenses/maintenence.
There would be no money left over at that point to be mis-used for general expenses. (there's no "changing his mind", it's fait accompli).


If you don't do this now, then as you noted, some future mayor/council could lease the airport then, and direct the money to the general fund.