Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
| Austin-Bergstrom International Airport | |||
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| IATA: AUS – ICAO: KAUS – FAA LID: AUS | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | City of Austin | ||
| Operator | City of Austin Aviation Department | ||
| Serves | Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos | ||
| Location | 3600 Presidential Boulevard Austin, Texas |
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| Elevation AMSL | 542 ft / 165 m | ||
| Coordinates | 30°11′40″N 097°40′12″W / 30.19444°N 97.67000°WCoordinates: 30°11′40″N 097°40′12″W / 30.19444°N 97.67000°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Maps | |||
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 AUS
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 17L/35R | 9,000 | 2,743 | Concrete |
| 17R/35L | 12,248 | 3,733 | Concrete |
| Helipads | |||
| Number | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| H1 | 60 | 18 | Concrete |
| H2 | 60 | 18 | Concrete |
| H3 | 50 | 15 | Concrete |
| Statistics (2008, 2012) | |||
| Aircraft operations (2008) | 188,140 | ||
| Based aircraft (2008) | 196 | ||
| Passengers (2012) | 9,430,314 | ||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (IATA: AUS, ICAO: KAUS, FAA LID: AUS, formerly BSM) is a Class C international airport located in Austin, Texas – the capital of Texas, and serving the Greater Austin metropolitan area, the 34th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Downtown Austin, it covers 4,242 acres (1,717 ha) and has two runways and three helipads. The airport is named after Captain John August Earl Bergstrom, an officer who served for the 19th Bombardment Group.[2]
A total of 9,430,314 passengers traveled through the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2012, an all-time high.[3] The airport is now the 38th busiest airport for total passengers in the United States.[4] Annual passenger total in 2012 increased by 4%, or 349,439 passengers, from the previous record year of 2011.
As of June 2013, there were over 150 daily departures to 41 destinations in the U.S. and Mexico.[5] The airport began passenger service on May 23, 1999.[6]
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History[edit]
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is located on the old site of Bergstrom Air Force Base. Austin-Bergstrom replaced Austin's Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, opening to the public on May 23, 1999.
The city began considering options for a new airport as early as 1971, when the Federal Aviation Administration proposed that Austin and San Antonio build a joint regional airport. That idea was rejected, as few Austinites supported driving half way to San Antonio to catch a flight. In the 1980s, neighborhoods around Mueller applied enough political pressure to force the city council to choose a site for a new airport from locations under consideration. In November 1987, voters approved a referendum designating a site near Manor. The city began acquiring the land and fighting lawsuits from the Sierra Club and others concerned about the Manor location.[7] The plans to construct a new airport at the Manor location were abandoned in 1991 when the Base Realignment and Closure Commission selected Bergstrom AFB for closure, and gave the nod to the city for it to be used as a civilian airport.
Penn Field[edit]
The first officially sanctioned landing field in Austin was Penn Field. At the Chamber of Commerce's behest, a United States Army delegation came to Austin in 1917 to scout out suitable sites for an airfield to serve the region. After the initial suggestion of Camp Mabry was rejected, a 318-acre (1.29 km2) parcel of land just south of St. Edward's University in South Austin was deemed suitable. Penn Field opened in 1918, named after Austin aviator Eugene Doak Penn, who died while training in Italy during World War I.[8]
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport[edit]
As the need for commercial service became clear in the 1920s, Austin voters supported a bond election to build a municipal airport in the city in 1928. Located a few miles northeast of downtown, the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport served Austin's air traffic needs beginning October 14, 1930, although commercial service would not begin until 1936. The airport was named for Robert Mueller, a city council member who died in 1927.[9]
In the 1950s, developers began building residential areas beneath the flight paths of Mueller and, in parallel, the number of arrivals and departures at the airport increased dramatically because of the growth of the city. Also, at 7,269 feet (2,216 m), the runway at Mueller was too short to handle new planes such as the 747. However, larger aircraft such as American Airlines DC-10s and Continental Airlines Boeing 720s have been regularly scheduled in the past. Before major expansion at Mueller took place in the 1970s, the departure area consisted of 4 to 5 gates, not enclosed but covered by a large awning. No jetways existed at this time.[10]
Mueller's longest runway was 7,000 feet (2,100 m) and by the late 1990s, the passenger terminal was operating at full capacity with 16 gates.
Robert Mueller Airport remained open for general aviation use through June 22, 1999, at which point it was closed to passenger traffic indefinitely. The 711 acres (288 ha) site of Mueller Airport was eventually designated to be a mixed-used development that would come to be known as the Mueller Community.
Bergstrom Air Force Base[edit]
In 1942, the city of Austin purchased land and donated the land to the United States government for a military installation, with the stipulation that the city would get the land back when the government no longer needed it. This land became Bergstrom Air Force Base. Del Valle Airfield was activated on 19 September 1942 on 3,000 acres (12 km2) leased from the City of Austin. The name of the base was changed to Bergstrom Army Airfield (AAF) on in March 1943, in honor of Captain John August Earl Bergstrom, a reservist in the 19th Bombardment Group, who was killed at Clark Field, Philippines in 1941. He was the first Austinite killed in World War II. With the separation of the United States Air Force and United States Army in September 1947, the name again changed to Bergstrom Air Force Base. It would have this name until it was decommissioned in the early 1990s, with all military aviation ceasing in 1995, after more than 50 years.[2]
On the early stages of exploring options for a new airport, the city submitted a proposal to the United States Air Force for joint use of Bergstrom AFB in 1976. The Air Force rejected the proposal in 1978 as being too disruptive to its operations. In 1991, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission selected Bergstrom AFB for closure and gave the nod to the city for it to be used as a civilian airport. The city council decided to abandon the original plan to build the new airport near Manor, and resolved instead to move the airport to the Bergstrom site. The City of Austin hired John Almond—a civil engineer who had recently led the airport design team for the new airport expansion in San Jose, California—as Project Director for the new $585 million airport in Austin and to put together a team of engineers and contractors to accomplish the task.[11]
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport[edit]
The issue of a $400 million bond referendum for a new airport owned and operated by the city was put to a public vote in May 1993 with a campaign managed by local public affairs consultant Don Martin and then-Mayor Bruce Todd and was approved by 63% of the vote. Groundbreaking for the new airport began in November 1994.[12]
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened to the public on May 23, 1999 with a 12,250 feet (3,730 m) runway, among the nation's longest commercial runways. There are 25 gates within the 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) Barbara Jordan passenger terminal, which is designed for eventual expansion to 55 gates. Originally conceived as an 18-gate terminal facility with a footprint of 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2), ABIA was expanded during construction to incorporate six additional gates.[13]
Bergstrom had the designator BSM until Mueller's final closure in 1999, when it took Mueller's IATA code of AUS.[14]
Facilities[edit]
Terminal[edit]
Barbara Jordan Terminal was designed by the Austin firm of Page Southerland Page with associate architect Gensler under contract to the New Airport Project Team, with lead architect University of Texas at Austin Architecture professor Larry Speck.[15] The terminal is 660,000 square feet (61,000 m2) with a total of 25 gates. Inside the terminal, many local restaurants have leased concession space so that visitors can get a "taste of Austin" as they come through. The terminal also has a live music stage on which local bands perform in keeping with the spirit of Austin's proclamation as "The Live Music Capital of the World." The terminal is connected to a 3000 space parking garage used for public parking as well as rental car pick-up and return.
A new dedicated facility known as the South Terminal Austin was approved by the Austin City Council in order to accommodate the arrival of Mexican-based, low-cost airline, VivaAerobus, which launched operations on May 1, 2008. That terminal was closed on June 1, 2009, after VivaAerobus terminated service to Austin.[16][17]
Both American Airlines and United Airlines operate lounges at this airport for members of their executive lounge programs. Members of Alaska Airlines's executive lounge program also have access to American's facilities.
Runways[edit]
Runway 17R/35L, to the west of the terminal, is the original runway built and used by the Air Force. The 12,248-foot-long (3,733 m) runway was reconditioned when Austin-Bergstrom was built. The 23-inch-deep (580 mm) concrete runway is dedicated to former President Lyndon B. Johnson.[18]
Runway 17L/35R is a new 9,000 foot (2,700 m) runway on the east side of the terminal and parallel with runway 17R/35L. This runway is dedicated to former Congressman J. J. "Jake" Pickle.[18] This runway contains a Category IIIB instrument landing system, the first in Austin.
The runways are watched over by a new 20-story air traffic control tower.[19] The tower formerly used by the Air Force has been demolished.
Airlines and destinations[edit]
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is served by 10 commercial airlines and their regional partners. As of June 2013, airlines served 41 destinations in the U.S. and Mexico.[20]
Top destinations[edit]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | 622,000 | American |
| 2 | Atlanta, GA | 326,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| 3 | Houston, TX (IAH) | 316,000 | United |
| 4 | Denver, CO | 305,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 5 | Dallas, TX (DAL) | 292,000 | Southwest |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | 233,000 | Southwest, US Airways |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 218,000 | American, Southwest, United |
| 8 | Chicago, IL (ORD) | 197,000 | American, United |
| 9 | New York, NY (JFK) | 145,000 | JetBlue, American, Delta |
| 10 | Houston, TX (HOU) | 140,000 | AirTran, Southwest |
Cargo[edit]
While ABIA opened to passenger traffic in 1999, cargo operations began two years earlier in 1997. March 2013 air cargo totaled 12,403,437 lbs., down 3% compared to March 2012. International air cargo totaled 708,497, down 26%. Federal Express carried 9.3 million lbs., up 1.5%; and United Parcel Service carried 2.5 million lbs., down 16%.[25] The Austin area is served by the following cargo carriers:[26]
Ground transportation[edit]
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates "Airport Flyer" bus services to and from the University of Texas main campus, stopping in Downtown Austin each way.
References[edit]
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for AUS (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 29 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Bergstrom Air Force Base: A 52-Year History of Service". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ Janzen, Eric (5 February 2013). "9.4 million passengers passed through ABIA last year". KXAN (Austin).
- ^ "Primary Airports based on Preliminary CY2011 Enplanements". Federal Aviation Administration. p. 2. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ^ "Nonstop flights out of ABIA". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ Austin airport has 2nd record year, Austin American-Statesman, January 25, 2007.
- ^ "Airport site stirs controversy". The Daily Texan. January 15, 1985.
- ^ "Penn Field". Austin Explorer. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "Mueller Community – citiCite Pages – Robert Mueller Municipal Airport". Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "Mueller Airport". Austin Explorer. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "History of the Airport". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ Eskenazi, Stuart. "Voters say Bergstrom is the only way to fly". Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX). p. A1. Retrieved 2010-05-28
- ^ Associated Press (23 May 1999). "Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to take off today". Lubbock Online. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ "History of the Airport". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ Larry Speck UTopia Profile The University of Texas. Accessed 2006-06-23.
- ^ VivaAerobus to cease operations out of Austin-Bergstrom Accessed May 16, 2009.
- ^ South Terminal Austin Accessed July 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Fast Facts". Retrieved 2007-08-21.
- ^ "Milestones: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport". Austin City Connection. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Nonstop flights out of ABIA". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/southwest-airlines-airtran-airways-extend-160000163.html;_ylt=A2KJ3Cb2jKpQXG8ALaHQtDMD
- ^ http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/united_airlines_launching_nons.html
- ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_22576089/virgin-america-adds-austin-anchorage-flights-from-sfo?source=rss
- ^ RITA | BTS | Transtats
- ^ "February 2013 Passenger & Air Cargo traffic at Austin-Bergstrom". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ "Air Cargo Information". Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport |
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (official site)
- SpottersWiki The Ultimate Airport Spotting Guide: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
- Concourse map
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 30, 2013
- FAA Terminal Procedures for AUS, effective May 30, 2013
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KAUS
- ASN accident history for AUS
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KAUS
- FAA current AUS delay information
