More than 22 million travelers passed through ABIA last year, beating the record set just the year before by a million passengers. Here's what some travelers had to say about their airport experience and the city's plan on increasing capacity.
A record 22 million-plus travelers hopped on or off a flight at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last year. The record beat the airport’s previous record set in 2022 by more than a million people.
Holiday travel may be on the rise. While July was the airport's busiest month, with more than 2 million travelers, December was the busiest December on record, with 1.8 million fliers. “It definitely feels overcrowded,” said Florence, who travels weekly for work. “The airport has definitely got more people. The lounges have more people. The restaurants . You feel the pinch, for sure.”
Before the concourse can be built, ABIA needs new taxiways — roads for planes to move between runways and the rest of the airport. The city recently finished demolishing about 40 buildings near the South Terminal to make space for those roads. The South Terminal will close as early as 2026 to be demolished for the project.