In October, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport set a new record with the most passengers in a single month and saw Oct. 20 become the busiest day in its history.
2026 Route Expansion
Southwest Airlines announced that starting March 7 it will add three seasonal nonstop services to Fort Myers, Florida; Palm Springs, California; and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Fort Myers and Steamboat Springs are brand-new to the airport, while Palm Springs already has Delta Air Lines operating.
On June 4, Southwest will launch year-round service to Cincinnati, a city already served by Allegiant, Delta and Frontier, and seasonal service to Seattle, where Alaska Airlines and Delta already fly.
Delta is also adding five new routes in 2026. Two year-round services-Columbus, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri-will begin on June 7; both routes are already served by Southwest. On June 13, Delta will introduce seasonal nonstop flights to Bozeman, Montana; Destin, Florida; and Kalispell, Montana-destinations that have never been served from Austin.
Route Cancellations and Competition
Alaska Airlines will terminate its San Francisco route on Jan. 6, 2026. The same city is served by Delta, Southwest and United Airlines.
Both Delta and Southwest are vying for a larger footprint at the airport, aiming to dominate when the proposed second terminal opens in 2030. Southwest accounts for about 41% of all passengers this year, while Delta handles roughly 18%.
The Austin City Council recently approved an incentive program with Southwest to expand in the city. The council estimates that the airline’s growth could create 2,000 new jobs. Southwest’s CEO, Bob Jordan, told the Austin Business Journal that his airline could make Austin its busiest airport in Texas, surpassing Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby.
Delta opened a new flight-attendant base in Austin in October. A Delta spokesperson told KXAN that 125 flight attendants will be staffed at the base as part of a ‘strategic move’ driven by increasing customer demand, evolving flight schedules and Delta’s long-term vision for the area.
Future Route Possibilities
‘At our November meeting of the Airport Advisory Commission, we want to move Austin ahead of the list of possible alternatives or choices for new routes,’ James Lundy, president of Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, said. ‘We want to maintain and support all incumbent domestic service, especially new ones that start. It’s really important to set that precedent that if you start a route in Austin, it does great from the start.’
Lundy presented a list of the top 10 domestic markets currently without nonstop service from Austin:
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Hartford, Connecticut (Bradley International)
- Richmond, Virginia
- Boise, Idaho
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Savannah, Georgia
- Buffalo, New York
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Albany, New York
‘Honolulu did have service, but it was discontinued after Alaska and Hawaiian merged together,’ Lundy explained. ‘Essentially, Alaska is taking that aircraft and investing it in other places due to its business model. We still want to talk about Honolulu, but it’s going to be a longer time period there, and we strategically bring that up as we go.’
Airport officials also have a list of top-priority international routes they’d like to see from Austin, including destinations in Europe and Asia. A 2021 memo identified Amsterdam, Beijing, Dublin, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. Dutch airline KLM began direct flights to Amsterdam in March 2022.
Nonstop flights to Paris nearly came to fruition. Norwegian Air announced in October 2019 it would begin service in May 2020, but the route was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline later announced it would not start the route at a later date, saying it wanted to focus on shorter flights within Europe.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest and Delta are adding multiple new nonstop routes in 2026, expanding Austin’s reach.
- Alaska Airlines will end its San Francisco service, and Delta is building a new flight-attendant base.
- The city council’s incentive program and airline CEO comments highlight a push to make Austin the busiest Texas airport.
Austin-Bergstrom’s growth trajectory, driven by new routes and airline competition, signals a bright future for the region’s aviation hub.
