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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will lose its south terminal as the Central Texas travel hub will be remodeled over the next 15 years to increase passenger capacity, the airport announced this week.
The terminal will be removed over the next two years to make way for a new hall that will bring 10 new gates and two new taxiways to the airport, airport director Jacqueline Yaft said in a memo to Austin city officials.
The south terminal only has three gates, said airport spokeswoman Sam Haynes. The new hall will also be connected to the Barbara Jordan Terminal, which is not the case with the South Terminal.
Airlines now departing from the South Terminal will be relocated to the Barbara Jordan Terminal. Companies in the South Terminal will also be relocated to the Barbara Jordan Terminal or another location at the airport if possible, Yaft said.
“The new middle field hall of the airport expansion and development program requires the relocation of the existing middle field taxiways,” said a statement from the airport. “Based on the advice of independent advisors, the safest, most operationally efficient and most cost-effective direction of future midfield taxiways will require the closure and removal of the South Terminal.”
Airport officials intend to work with Highstar Capital IV, LP / LoneStar Airport Holdings, LLC, which operates the South Terminal, “to negotiate an amicable solution to the termination of the existing LoneStar-City lease in relation to the South Terminal.” according to the airport.
Revised plans, high costs
The new hall is being built as part of the airport expansion and development program, which was developed before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, but has been restructured with postponements since the beginning of 2020.
Other important elements of the program are the installation of a new baggage handling system, the expansion of the gate capacity and the expansion of the ticket counters in the main Barbara Jordan terminal. The new baggage system will get baggage on planes faster by checking it faster, Haynes said.
The additional gate capacity will start in November with an additional bus service that will run from Gate 13 in the Barbara Jordan Terminal. It will move passengers between the planes and the terminal when they arrive or depart, Haynes said.
More:Austin Airport is offering 7 new non-stop routes through Allegiant Airlines
Airport planners also see potential for three new gates on the west side of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, she said.
There are also plans to build a new central supply system and dismantle some of the existing structures in preparation for construction. About 11 buildings, including old buildings and hangars from when the airport was an air force base, are expected to be removed, Haynes said.
The program will enable the airport to grow instantly, but will also lay a foundation for long-term growth as the airport expects more than 31 million passengers annually through 2037.
The program is paid for out of the airport’s cash reserves, airport revenue, revenue from tax bonds, and Federal Aviation Administration grants.
An exact total budget has not yet been determined, but the optimization of the Barbara Jordan Terminal has an estimated cost of $ 325 million over the next three years, of which about $ 77.5 million for the baggage handling system and $ 30 million for additional ones Gate capacity, Haynes said.
More:American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are adding routes to the growing flight options of Austin travelers
The project’s cost and schedule will likely change once contractors are hired to work on the changes, she said.
“With this program, we’re changing the future of (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport) – without the need for taxpayers’ money,” Yaft said in a statement. “We will create the infrastructure and facilities necessary to support our growing city and our airline partners as they continue to invest in Austin.”
According to Yaft, the program will “offer an improved passenger experience – one that is not only safe, comfortable and convenient, but also reflects the city’s special culture and community”.
Passengers can expect visible and potentially daunting construction at the airport next spring, Haynes said. Contract options for the airport expansion will go live later this month, she said.
Declining air travel
The news of the airport redesign comes as travelers began returning the airport after more than a year of anemic passenger traffic during the coronavirus pandemic.
Passenger traffic took a nosedive from March 2020 when the first coronavirus cases appeared in central Texas. Passenger traffic fell from 701,000 travelers in March 2020 to around 48,000 in April 2020, a volume that has not been seen since the airport opened in May 1999.
The decline in passengers also led to a significant drop in sales. The airport’s revenue is expected to show a shortfall of $ 27 million between October 2020 and October 2021, Haynes said. The airport ended the pre-pandemic in 2019 with operating revenues of around $ 176.7 million, according to airport data.
But the airport has started to see the light at the end of the very long coronavirus tunnel.
Passenger traffic has been increasing this year since February as coronavirus vaccinations continued to spread and the number of people fully vaccinated continued to rise.
More:Allegiant plans a $ 75 million operations center at Austin Airport that will create 89 jobs
May is the first month the airport has seen more than 1 million passengers since before the pandemic, said airport spokesman Bryce Dubee. A total of 1,106,710 passengers were registered in May.
The June numbers won’t be released until August, but the airport has seen a steady surge in passenger demand over the summer and is well on its way to meeting or surpassing pre-summer 2019 levels, the airport said.
With more passengers, more perks were opened at the airport with new contactless mobile orders. The Beerdrop, a craft beer spot, and Taste ATX, which sells Austin and Texas-inspired snacks and sauces, have been added to the terminal.
For the rest of the summer, however, passengers at the airport can expect business as usual for the time being.
Passengers should remember to arrive early at the airport, check flight times online, and bring flight documents and a face mask to the airport.
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