Quote: The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is only 13 years old, but airport managers say it's nearing capacity.
Last year, ABIA handled nearly 9.1 million passengers, and it’s only built to handle 11 million. While the Federal Aviation Administration estimates the airport will surpass capacity by 2018, ABIA officials say that could happen in just two years.
If approved by the City Council, the work would start next September and be completed by June 2015.
The video accompanying the story is a lot more informative than the article.
And this was from last week from The Austin American Statesman:
Quote: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, now more than a dozen years old, would get more secure entrances and exits, a smoother drive and a new cellphone waiting area under almost $5 million in contracts that the Austin City Council will consider Thursday.
(City Council approved it and this work should start this September.)
Also, AUS released it's June Activity Report today.
jsnww81 From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 1859 posts, RR: 17 Reply 1, posted (9 months 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 1930 times:
Probably not a bad idea. The current AUS terminal is nice and reasonably functional, but it wasn't really designed in a way that facilitates easy expansion. Gates can be added easily enough but the landside is configured in sort of a difficult way and the security checkpoints back up into the ticket lobby very quickly.
B6JFKH81 From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 2767 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (9 months 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 1878 times:
Awesome, awesome news. I happen to love AUS and the crew my airline has down there. If there was a way for me to transfer down there within my department I would do it in a heartbeat (there or BNA too). I hope that B6 expands down there in the future!!!
"If you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it"
lightsaber From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 10697 posts, RR: 100 Reply 3, posted (9 months 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1661 times:
Expansion?!? Dorthy, we're not in California anymore.
Seriously, it looks like they are hitting the major bottlenecks. With two runways, I'm assuming airside expansion is way off the radar... (as it should be).
Hmelawyer From United States of America, joined May 2011, 48 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (9 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 893 times:
Quoting lightsaber (Reply 3): With two runways, I'm assuming airside expansion is way off the radar... (as it should be).
You are correct. They are fine on the airside to at least double current volume, especially having recently increased RON space to accommodate that shortfall. While given the lag time to get a project approved completed, they need to get started on gates that is not an immediate problem. (In fact, there are three full service gates + 1 commuter gate that are vacant).
As a frequent traveler from Austin, I can attest that the immediate crunch and the area that they are already way behind the curve on is security processing. There are currently 3 security clearance areas, but the west area has a much lower volume, so more accurately it is 2.5. They need to get the east fill-in project completed with that east security clearance area ASAP. Also wouldn't hurt to see if some minor renovations could increase the capacity of the current areas.
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From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 3644 posts, 
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