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Austin airport struggles to meet demand of passengers: report

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Published  November 11, 2024 9:55pm CST
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
FOX 7 Austin

Austin airport struggles with demand

As the holidays quickly approach, many passengers will be coming through Austin Bergstrom International Airport. As Austin continues to grow, the airport struggles to meet the demand of passengers coming in and out.

The Brief

    • Austin-Bergstrom Internation Airport is busier than ever
    • As Austin continues to grow, it struggles to meet the demand of passengers
    • On Nov. 10, staffing issues led to delays

AUSTIN, Texas - As the holidays quickly approach, many passengers will be coming through Austin Bergstrom International Airport. 

As Austin continues to grow, the airport struggles to meet the demand of passengers coming in and out, according to an Aviation Risk Assessment from the city of Austin’s Auditor's Office.

"It's just gotten busier because I feel like it's more popular now than ever," said Hayden Bobo, an ABIA traveler.

"It just feels like we're growing. To fit the current rather than thinking about a little forward-thinking," said Cassidy Kist, ABIA traveler.

On Sunday, Nov. 10, ABIA felt the impact. An FAA spokesperson confirmed to FOX 7 it slowed traffic at ABIA on Sunday due to staffing issues with air traffic control.

The airport says the staffing issues were on the FAA’s part, not the Department of Aviation’s.

Austin airport proposes expansion plan

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is proposed to nearly double in size with the expansion, the largest in the airport's history.

The FAA didn’t say how long delays were or how many flights were impacted. It says operations are back to normal.

But with holiday travel around the corner, can the airport meet the increased demand?

"It worries me, but also, it's not stopping me from traveling. So, I think I'll just plan a little bit differently. I usually give myself a lot of time now, but now I'll give an extra hour," said Kist.

A report from the city auditor's office released in October says the airport opened in 1999 with the capacity to accommodate 11 million travelers annually. However, the airport has significantly outgrown its capacity, recently transitioning from a medium to a large airport.

The report says in 2023, ABIA saw over 22 million travelers.

"It's always a lot busier each time and it's always a different flow. It feels like we're going through some growing pains and moving around a lot," said Kist.

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The report notes the Aviation Department continues to experience challenges with recruiting, hiring and retaining staff at all levels. It says staff reported issues with a lengthy hiring process and non-competitive pay.

Current staff also reported taking on additional duties and working overtime to fill gaps.

To help accommodate the passenger growth, the airport has begun its $4 billion multi-year airport expansion and development program as part of its 20-year master plan. The goal of it is to increase the airport’s capacity to meet the current and future needs of the airport by expanding the main terminal, building a new concourse, adding more gates and security checkpoints, among others.

"At the end of it, we will have double the airport in size and made room for more passengers, more airlines and, of course, our air service to offer to our passengers," said Lesly Ramirez, ABIA public information officer specialist.

FOX 7 reached out to ABIA for additional comment, but they directed us to the FAA.

You can find more information on the Audit here.

The source

  • Information for this report is from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King, the FAA, and a Aviation Risk Assessment from the city of Austin’s Auditor's Office.