ABIA

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is expecting waves of passengers for Austin City Limits Music fest and F1 just as the TSA announces lines could get longer than normal.

Airlines led by Delta are rolling out a slate of new routes from Mexico City to Miami to Denver to Palm Springs.

The FAA team at ABIA had requested Austin's airspace be upgraded to Class B, a more restricted category designed to reduce the risk of midair collisions around the nation's largest airports.

Austin airport's CEO warned the Federal Aviation Administration months ago about the "critical" staffing shortage at the air traffic control tower causing delays and reducing safety.

Four new nonstop routes, including Jacksonville and Milwaukee, arrive in the new year as other service is trimmed back.

The FAA system provides a visual representation of where planes are located on the runways and taxiways.

While flight activity in Austin levels off, the airport is still buzzing with 30% to 40% more flights than before the pandemic and Delta introducing new connections that offset cuts by American Airlines and others.

Austin airport officials are facing mounting pressure from local politicians to respond more forcefully to a troubling pattern of safety incidents.

But airport officials say they'll eventually need to remove three gates to build an underground tunnel connecting the Barbara Jordan Terminal to a new concourse — part of an even longer-term expansion that would increase the airport's capacity by as many as 40 gates.

Just before a FedEx cargo airplane was due to land, an air traffic controller cleared the Southwest flight to depart from the same runway. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the incident.