AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[the Genral]

I used to take a turbo prop plane from the rather small Dutchess County Airport to Kennedy, about the same distance from Austin to San Antonio to catch a connecting flight. But driving from Upstate NY to Kennedy is considerably more of a hassle than the easy drive down I35. It was worth the extra expense. I could see a prop shuttle between SAT and ABIA, but more coming than going and mostly to catch a connection in Austin. I might add that back in the day, I used to book flights on Eastern Airlines from Kennedy to Miami and the flight on Command Airways from Dutchess to Kennedy and back was included in the price, but it was through the arrangements of a Travel Agency, which was how I booked all my flights back then. Does anyone ever do that anymore??
http://www.scripophily.com/webcart/v...airpicture.jpg
Here is a picture of the regional airline based out of Dutchess County Airport I flew to Kennedy. It served 13 airports until 1988.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by the Genral

http://www.scripophily.com/webcart/v...airpicture.jpg
Here is a picture of the regional airline based out of Dutchess County Airport I flew to Kennedy. It served 13 airports until 1988.

Those prop planes are still in use in SE Asia, not so much in China where I live. Even the small flights here are six rows across!

I've used these smaller ones in Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia for connections to smaller regions both for work and vacation. Kinda fun!

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by skylerspaeth

When Mueller Airport was still around, I'm pretty sure they had direct flights to San Antonio.

Delta used to have a daily nonstop AUS-SAT flight. It was once per day in each direction. It was part of a larger "triangle" flight between Salt Lake City and Central Texas. One flight went SLC-SAT-AUS-SLC, and the other one went SLC-AUS-SAT-SLC. I took them a few times when I was traveling between Austin and Salt Lake City.

I still remember one of the flight numbers - 1705. I flew nonstop to SLC from AUS, and on the return trip. we had the intermediate stop in SAT. It was the only time I ever took a trip where I had the same flight number coming and going.

Another time, San Antonio was the intermediate stop on the way to Salt Lake City, and it was nonstop on the way back.

I only saw a passenger once who got on in Austin and got off at San Antonio. It was a little girl and I think her parents were divorced. Her mother lived in Austin and her dad lived in San Antonio and she was going to visit her dad.

I think (when Mueller was still open) US Airways had a similar type flight between Pittsburgh and AUS/SAT that worked much like the Delta flight.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by skylerspaeth

When Mueller Airport was still around, I'm pretty sure they had direct flights to San Antonio. It's just so close to Austin that I don't see a A320/737 making a nonstop flight. Texas Sky or some small airline might be able to sell seats on a small, prop driven aircraft though, but only if they make it cheap enough for people to fly instead of drive.
I don't work for the airport though, so that is just my opinion.

Yea. An airport to airport rail line would likely be most efficient. It would be awesome if the powers that be could get their act together and create a high speed rail line between the two. The two airports could really pool their resources and become "terminals" that would essentially create a combined airport.

[brando]

Originally Posted by paul78701

Yea. An airport to airport rail line would likely be most efficient. It would be awesome if the powers that be could get their act together and create a high speed rail line between the two. The two airports could really pool their resources and become "terminals" that would essentially create a combined airport.

That's nowhere near as easy as you're making it sound. The San Antonio airport is deep in the city and not outside the city like the austin airport so just getting a line there once you get to San Antonio would be very difficult. Airport to Airport also doesn't really make much sense vs the core of the city.

Building that connection has been an effort for decades but it's just not possible in Texas.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by brando

That's nowhere near as easy as you're making it sound. The San Antonio airport is deep in the city and not outside the city like the austin airport so just getting a line there once you get to San Antonio would be very difficult. Airport to Airport also doesn't really make much sense vs the core of the city.

Building that connection has been an effort for decades but it's just not possible in Texas.

I was sounding off on how no entity around here has been able to get any sort of rail going (beyond the red line). Either within Austin or as witnessed with the now defunct Austin-San Antonio line. I wasn't trying to make it sound easy. I realize it isn't. It's damn near impossible.

It wasn't a serious idea. Only wishful thinking. Of course it doesn't make sense to do only an airport to airport route. It only makes sense in the context of a greater metro system. Again, just sounding off on a pie in the sky idea that will never happen.

[skylerspaeth]

Can anyone tell me when the new master plan is set to release? Or do we not know yet?

[GoldenBoot]

In a few months...supposedly

[skylerspaeth]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

In a few months...supposedly

Thanks.

[brando]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

In a few months...supposedly

A city of Austin employee in the airport department told me it would take a year and a half from last fall which would put it in early 2018. I'm not sure when the summer time came from.


As a reminder, the preferred option from the original plan was to build a new terminal at the south of the airport however a lot has changed since then. A lot of garages have been built by the main terminal and a new admin office is on the way. I thought the plan that has a new terminal across from the admin office near the west runway makes the most sense but someone here said the rumor they heard would have a terminal expansion just north of the existing terminal over the old short term garage would be the preference. That supports the options of building piers from the existing terminal with more gates or a rectangular mini terminal just south of the existing terminal with more gates.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by brando

A city of Austin employee in the airport department told me it would take a year and a half from last fall which would put it in early 2018. I'm not sure when the summer time came from.

From one of our most respected and informed airport forumers...Austin1971

POST FROM MARCH 25, 2017


**I'm not saying your source is wrong or that Austin1971 is wrong. We just have to sources saying two different things. In all fairness to Austin1971, it was indicated in the post to not hold your breath on a summer release.

[Jdawgboy]

Were the new garages and upcoming admin building apart of the previous expansion plan or were they added in due to demand?

[brando]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Were the new garages and upcoming admin building apart of the previous expansion plan or were they added in due to demand?

The space where all of the new garages are were listed as "future garage." I'm not sure if they went into detail over the type of garages or what they would have in them at that time but the land was designated for garages.

FYI: This was the section of the master plan that listed the preferred option for expansion. The plan also includes a lot of alternatives which we've seen posted.

http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...Chp7_Part1.pdf
http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...Chp7_Part2.pdf
http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...Chp7_Part3.pdf

The big question with the preferred plan is if it required the current "south terminal" to be razed. That's not possible now with the lease the city signed for its operation. There wouldn't be any overlap with the two terminals but they would be close which might work out.

[GoldenBoot]

Contracts can be broken/dissolved. I would be shocked if there was not at least one clause pertaining to compensating the lessee should the airport need the land on which the "South Terminal" currently sits.

The "South Terminal" will not impede any expansion of ABIA should that land be required for said expansion.

[Austin1971]

D

[skylerspaeth]

Any information on Iberia flight IB2817? Flying nonstop from Madrid to Austin. Does it have anything to do with MotoGP? I know no airlines operate flights to/from MAD.

[GoldenBoot]

Yes. It's a charter for MotoGP and seems to be a A333. An Iberia A343 was used (chartered) last year for the F1 GP.

[skylerspaeth]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Yes. It's a charter for MotoGP and seems to be a A333. An Iberia A343 was used (chartered) last year for the F1 GP.

Ok. This doesn't provide any insight into a potential AUS-MAD flight, correct? I know Iberia are partners on some domestic flights already.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by skylerspaeth

Ok. This doesn't provide any insight into a potential AUS-MAD flight, correct? I know Iberia are partners on some domestic flights already.

Correct...there is no current potential. At this point, MAD would not be considered one of the target long-haul (international) routes out of ABIA.

[skylerspaeth]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Correct...there is no current potential. At this point, MAD would not be considered one of the target long-haul (international) routes out of ABIA.

Ok. What would be potential long haul flights? I've heard rumors about Amsterdam, and I think CDG and DXB would be logical.