Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) will add nonstop service to four new cities in 2025: Jacksonville, Memphis, Milwaukee and Reno. But the airport is expecting an overall slowdown in passenger traffic as the post-pandemic travel boom continues to level off.
The number of nonstop destinations served from ABIA fell to 76 in December, a 10% decline from a year earlier. Airlines are expecting a slower January and February than in 2024 with service picking up slightly in March as more flights are added.
"I think we're coming out of 2024 in a better position than we were going into 2024," said Joseph McCulloch, a frequent traveller who reports on airlines, airport lounges and hotels at his site ATXJettsetter.com.
"We're starting to see more adds [of flights] than removals, which is nice, because for a while there, we were seeing only removals. so I think it's going to give people a lot more options," he said.
Long lines could remain an issue in 2025, especially as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) struggles with short-staffing. The agency is sending about two dozen officers to help with screening through December.
"Getting from your car to the gate has not been more difficult than it has been in 2024," McCulloch said. "I've had more times this year where I've arrived at the airport and the line is out into the street than I've ever had."
ABIA's air traffic control tower has half as many controllers as recommended, which has already caused some delays and could bring more in 2025, given how chronic and widespread the controller shortage is nationwide.
Amid those challenges, an effort to boost the airport's capacity will gather momentum in 2025. Design companies were recently hired to produce detailed plans for a new $1 billion concourse and $865 million terminal expansion. Both are planned to open sometime around 2030.
One bit of fresh air for 2025: Travelers who've passed through security will gain access to an outdoor terrace on the east end of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The patio will reopen to everyone after a lease with Chase Bank ends in March.
With that backdrop, here's a look flights coming and going in 2025.
Starting March 6, Southwest — the airport's busiest carrier — begins year-round weekday trips to Milwaukee and seasonal service to Reno three times a week.
Delta will roll out flights Jacksonville and Memphis year-round starting May 7. Delta's rapid expansion in Austin positions it to overtake American Airlines as the airport's second biggest carrier.
Most new nonstop additions in early 2025 are Delta flights taking on routes already served by Alaska, Allegiant, American, Southwest and United. Those Delta flights include:
- February 27: Year-round service to New Orleans
- March 9: Year-round service to Panama City, Florida
- May 5: Year-round service to Indianapolis
- June 8: Year-round service to San Francisco and Tampa, Florida
Frontier has the second most additions in early 2025 with new nonstop flights to Chicago, Orlando, Cincinnati and Phoenix taking off the first week in March. Fellow ultra-low-cost airline Allegiant plans to close a $75 million base of operations in Austin in January, resulting in about a dozen routes being slashed.
WestJet will launch a seasonal nonstop service to Vancouver on May 11, competing directly with Air Canada.
American Airlines is leading the cuts, discontinuing service to 30 destinations, including major cities like Boston, Orlando and Las Vegas along with international routes Liberia and Cozumel. But American still offers about 10 flights a day to Dallas, which is the airline's largest hub.
Hawaiian Airlines will end nonstop service to Honolulu on March 26, ending a long-haul option from Austin that launched in April 2021 when air travel began to surge back after the COVID-19 downturn.
"That was certainly a sad loss," Deputy Chief of Airport Affairs Jason Alexander told members of Austin's Airport Advisory Commission, saying the decision appears to stem from Alaska Airlines acquiring Hawaiian Airlines. "We don't know what the future holds for that route, whether it will come back or not, but we see it as a significant loss."
Lufthansa is downgrading its service to Frankfurt by switching to a smaller aircraft from March through August, reducing capacity on one of Austin's major transatlantic routes. KLM Royal Dutch will continue flying to Amsterdam on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which returned in October.
More nonstop international flights, especially to Asian destinations, have long been a request of the city council-appointed commission overseeing ABIA.
"I know it's very much a priority to our business community here," Airport Advisory Commissioner Patrick Rose told senior airport staff at the December meeting. "That takes real strategy and execution and I know it's important to a lot of us in the [Austin] region."
Airport executives said they would give a public presentation at February's commission meeting on plans to attract more flights to Austin.
Correction: A previous version of this story said WestJet will compete with Southwest on the Vancouver route. In fact, WestJet will compete with Air Canada on this route.
