AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[AusTex]

See post below

[AusTex]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

My understanding from talking to Customs Agents when I flew to Cancun in May was that the first three gates would be able to handle international flights. The customs now is on the ground floor and is supposed to stay on the ground floor. One exits the plane then descends to the ground level hallways to get to Customs.

I also remember reading during the COTA redo for customs that the new building would have FOUR levels....If that is correct then one arrives to customs on the ground, THEN decends to the baggage and booths and accends to the ground level to exit.

Basement for baggage and Customs booths (2 stories), Ground level is the above picture of people going down to customs after the hallways. The 2 story Security/Ticketing level on the concourse level. This might be what they are doing.

[Austin_Expert]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Gates won't be added in the near future. Air carriers will upgauge aircraft as demand warrants. ABIA has a ton of RJ service. When you start seeing RJ's replaced with mainline metal that's when gates will need to be added.

I can certainly understand this reasoning in regards to existing carriers. It makes since that they would simply add more flights through their existing gates, and/or use larger aircraft, before needing more gates.

However, this does not seem to take into account new carriers entering the market. Just recently Aeromar and Allegient service has been announced, and Airtran, Alaska, and Virgin are all relatively recent additions as well. Heck, even Frontier and Jetblue haven't been serving this market for that many years.

So what happens when other airlines want to begin serving AUS, but there are no gates available? It seems like it would be a good idea to plan for this scenario, and have the gates available when they're needed, rather than waiting until they're needed, and then trying to play catch up.

[Austin1971]

[q

[electricron]

I agree that the airport shouldn't build new gates until there is a need for them, at least until they are leased in advance.

[MightyYoda]

Having flown out of the airport a couple weeks ago. I can say that the terminal itself has plenty of room and didn't seem over-crowded, though obviously in the end it comes down to leasing gates. The areas with "issues" (still not bad compared to most major airports) were check-in and baggage claim. Sounds like they are upgrading the areas with highest need first. Also have to say, I love flying out of our airport. We have such a nice airport for the size of our city. I don't think we will have ever a really large airport since we have Houston and Dallas taking away connecting flights, but my experience in our airport has always been enjoyable and I love the focus on local businesses. Not enough airports do that.

[M1EK]

Our airport is good for food, but it sucks for parking (the shuttles take forever to the point where several years ago I gave up on parking on-site and switched to one of the private lots), and the baggage claim is HORRIBLE (worst of any airport I have ever travelled to more than once - talking of 20 or more here). Just takes forever for bags to get down there - especially considering the short path they have to travel compared to most major airports - there's no excuse, and it's been consistently bad on every trip I've ever taken on every airline (AA, SW, JetBlue, Delta, and United, both original and Continental).

I never wanted to be one of those jerks who puts a big carry-on overhead for a business trip, and yet a few years ago I started doing it 100% of the time because I got tired of the typical half-hour wait at baggage claim when I just want to get home. Obviously I still have to check bags for family trips and whatnot, so I still get quarterly reminders of how bad it is - and it's never gotten any better. The other end of 100% of these trips is better than Austin - whether it be Philadelphia, Baltimore, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Salt Lake, Denver, or Honolulu (all hit during last few years, none with typical Austin waits).

[hookem]

I stopped checking in bags once the fees started.

But even when I did check my bag, it would only be on the way back from trips. I'd never risk having my stuff get lost (as tends to happen) when I'm in another place for business. If it got lost on the way back to Austin, then that was fine... at least I'd be home.

It's hard for me to believe Austin is at nearly 10M passengers. Like MightyYoda, the airport always feels non-crowded when I travel. The security lines go faster than any other airport I've been to, and there are rarely more than 5 or so people in the line. I know that can't always be the case... but it is everytime I fly. Other airports at around 10M passengers (like FLL) feel really different to me; noticeably larger and more crowded.

[Austin_Expert]

Originally Posted by hookem

Other airports at around 10M passengers (like FLL) feel really different to me; noticeably larger and more crowded.

FLL has well over 20M passengers a year.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Austin_Expert

FLL has well over 20M passengers a year.

Well, that would certainly explain it. I thought I had read somewhere that it was 12m per year, but I guess that's wrong or not the same data...

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by hookem

Well, that would certainly explain it. I thought I had read somewhere that it was 12m per year, but I guess that's wrong or not the same data...

FLL had 23.6 million PAX in 2012 (#21 in the US by enplanements @ 11.4MM). In comparison, AUS was #36 (4.6MM). Other notables are: BNA #35 (4.8MM); RDU #37 (4.5MM); SMF, CLE, & MSY @ #39-41 (4.3MM); SAT #44 (4MM); DAL #45 (4MM). To me, the following airport rankings surprised me: Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Memphis, Columbus all ranked lower than DAL.

Should AUS continue on it's 6% growth in 2013, the airport should be in the neighborhood of MCI (Kansas City), OAK (Oakland) & HOU (Hobby) by January 2014.

After that, the next airports are STL (6.2MM), PDX (7.1MM), TPA (8.2MM), SAN (8.7MM), and HNL (9.2MM). It take AUS several years (or some exponential growth) to achieve the status of those airports. At a constant growth rate of 6% per year, it would be 2017 before AUS would be where STL is today; 2020 for PDX; 2022 for TPA; 2023 for SAN; 2024 for HNL.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Should AUS continue on it's 6% growth in 2013, the airport should be in the neighborhood of MCI (Kansas City), OAK (Oakland) & HOU (Hobby) by January 2014.

Based on the first six months of this year, MCI & OAK are already in ABIA's rearview mirror.

AUS - Jan-Jun 2013 - 4,855,475 - link

MCI - Jan-Jun 2013 - 4,688,572 - link

OAK - Jan-Jun 2013 - 4,691,014 - link

[Austin1971]

H

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Heard from a source at the port that the big wigs are really pushing to accelerate the east pier gate expansion. Nice to hear that they are being proactive.

That's outstanding news. Hopefully, we're not too far away from the initial development of the new South Terminal complex; as mentioned in the current master plan (i.e., hopefully, within the coming decade).

[Austin1971]

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[lzppjb]

Austin to London Nonstop on 787 5x weekly to begin in March.

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austi...ondon-launched

[LoneStarMike]

Somewhere in this thread was a link to a document that said the airport's goal was to have service to Europe by October 2015, so this is happening about a year and half earlier than they were even hoping for.

Great news!

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Austin to London Nonstop on 787 5x weekly to begin in March.

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austi...ondon-launched

March. Just in time for SXSW which always has a large UK presence. SXSW and F1 were probably major factors in this.

[Austin1971]

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[ATXboom]

6-7 new gates also correlated with this new London service... chubby.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...to-london.html