AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by freerover

I just noticed there is a date for the 2nd public workshop for the new Master Plan. It's April 19th.

I went to the first one and it was pretty unless if you were going to find out any new information. They mostly were soliciting input because I guess they legally have to. It'll be interesting to see if they present different options for expansion and ask people how they feel about it. The main question being a centralized expansion vs. decentralized.

It would be really cool if they reveal different options for transit on the airport grounds to see how people feel about it. The floated the idea of those autonomous pods in the initial new master plan presentation.

I think the plan is supposed to be revealed this fall, they probably have a plan semi set by now!

Regarding Frontier, with their recent huge expansion, even though all the flight added are seasonal, do you guys think we will see Frontier basing crews, jets, and maybe building a maintenance hangar at AUS?

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

With Frontier's announcement, ABIA now has service to 78 airports (including seasonal services).

78? I counted 76, unless you know something we don't . I didn't count AMS and ARN as destinations as they are just for South by Southwest. 76 or 78, that is impressive!

Austin1971 said to hold onto out hats for 2018, hopefully there is much more to come!

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

78? I counted 76, unless you know something we don't . I didn't count AMS and ARN as destinations as they are just for South by Southwest. 76 or 78, that is impressive!

Austin1971 said to hold onto out hats for 2018, hopefully there is much more to come!

Yea I would say this is only the beginning. Don't give up on Delta just yet. They didn't build that fancy Skylounge for nothing.

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Yea I would say this is only the beginning. Don't give up on Delta just yet. They didn't build that fancy Skylounge for nothing.

Agreed, I wish Hensel Phelps would hurry up with the extension, make it where the earlier they complete the project the more they get paid. Right now the project is set for a July 2019 opening. Our international gates have capacity left so AMS could start this year. I don't know what capacity is left at Delta's current gates, they might have room to expand domestically before July 2019.
https://www.henselphelps.com/project...-improvements/

[Jdawgboy]

With frontier's significant route increase for AUS, what does that make us for them? A ficus city? Hub?? There are people over on airliners.net scratching their heads over Austin/Buffalo. They do seem to be adding some interesting cities. Are they planning on using Austin as a transfer point for some of these routes?

[Mikey711MN]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Agreed, I wish Hensel Phelps would hurry up with the extension

They're working on it!





(lucky enough to have taken part in a tour today, so here are a few photos that I snapped...)

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by Mikey711MN

They're working on it!





(lucky enough to have taken part in a tour today, so here are a few photos that I snapped...)

Awesome pictures! What tour is this, is it open to the public? Can you link the rest of your photos, please! It looks like the exterior is pretty much complete.

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

With frontier's significant route increase for AUS, what does that make us for them? A ficus city? Hub?? There are people over on airliners.net scratching their heads over Austin/Buffalo. They do seem to be adding some interesting cities. Are they planning on using Austin as a transfer point for some of these routes?

I don't know what Frontier has in store for AUS, I'm scratching my head as well. You can look at the departure/arrival times and the days each service will fly here. http://www.austintexas.gov/news/fron...w-destinations

[Austin1971]

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[Austin1971]

[QUOTE=Austin1971;8078745]The Airport’s capital improvement plan anticipates approximately $850M of spending for new projects through fiscal year 2022. These future projects will require substantial geotechnical, steel, concrete, and other materials testing services prior to, during, and potentially after construction.

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[freerover]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

For comparison New Orleans' new terminal they are building is 35 gates. The terminal is roughly 972,000-square-foot and will have a 2,190-car parking garage, a central utility plant and a ground transportation staging area. It's around a billion dollars. Austin is getting ready to spend around 900 mil over the next 4 years......

Very interesting. For some perspective, the previous preferred decentralized terminal building was 250 million,

and the preferred centralized expansion was 309 million

. That was just for the buildings themselves. The cost for both plans was around 830 million without allowances. They were about 1.5 billion with them.


The site plan was was dictates all the other crap like if it will have tunnized roads and what things have to get relocated. 900 million doesn't seem like it'll get you a new terminal and terminal linking system but I'm sure it will be a fun proposal. I hope it includes the new west takeoff runway.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

78? I counted 76, unless you know something we don't . I didn't count AMS and ARN as destinations as they are just for South by Southwest. 76 or 78, that is impressive!

Austin1971 said to hold onto out hats for 2018, hopefully there is much more to come!

I counted AMS & ARN (SXSW flights) because they will be an annual occurrence. Also, if they were "charter" or one-off flights, ABIA would not have listed them on their website.

[CTrox73]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

I don't know what Frontier has in store for AUS, I'm scratching my head as well. You can look at the departure/arrival times and the days each service will fly here. http://www.austintexas.gov/news/fron...w-destinations

I am wondering if all the added Frontier flights will have any impact on operations of Volaris? I noticed on Frontier's webpage that they have signed a code-share agreement with Volaris.

[OU812]

Lovin the expansion, but I must say- what, no automated walkway / people movers? What's up with that? Perhaps it'll be implemented later. I assume it would be impossible to add to the existing main facility.

http://www.abiamasterplan.com/constructionupdates/

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by OU812

Lovin the expansion, but I must say- what, no automated walkway / people movers? What's up with that? Perhaps it'll be implemented later. I assume it would be impossible to add to the existing main facility.

http://www.abiamasterplan.com/constructionupdates/

Eh I feel like those would only be appropriate in areas with long stretches of nothing (no shops etc) like pier/concourse connectors.

[masonh2479]

ViaAir is starting Service to Little Rock and Tulsa. Little Rock starting April 29th, looks like 6x weekly, and Tulsa starting May 6th, 6x weekly as well. The OKC service that was originally supposed to start January 18th is now starting April 22nd and will be 6x weekly.

I checked the airport website to see if any news was posted and there was none yet, both Little Rock airport authority and Tulsa airport authority have confirmed their respective services.

The service will be operated by their 50seat rj.

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by CTrox73

I am wondering if all the added Frontier flights will have any impact on operations of Volaris? I noticed on Frontier's webpage that they have signed a code-share agreement with Volaris.

I think this is why Volaris looked bound to leave but for now is remaining at ABIA till 2019 (their 2019 schedule is not up yet). These flight have positively impacted Volaris.

Frontier will be basing 2 A320 aircraft at the airport to manage all these flights. Credit to a user on a.net for posting this link: http://www.anna.aero/2018/02/09/fron...mestic-routes/

[Jdawgboy]

You would think that Frontier will be basing personnel here as well considering, but no info at all regarding that.

[ATCZERO]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

The Airport’s capital improvement plan anticipates approximately $850M of spending for new projects through fiscal year 2022. These future projects will require substantial geotechnical, steel, concrete, and other materials testing services prior to, during, and potentially after construction.

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=292738

I know you referenced the New Orleans airport terminal construction as a comparison but "substantial geotechnical, steel, concrete, and other materials testing services" could also very well be a runway. Nod once for new terminal, twice for new runway. 🤐

[freerover]

Originally Posted by ATCZERO

I know you referenced the New Orleans airport terminal construction as a comparison but "substantial geotechnical, steel, concrete, and other materials testing services" could also very well be a runway. Nod once for new terminal, twice for new runway. ������

The proposed 9,000 ft 3rd runway on the airport west end and necessary taxiways is between 70-100 million depending on the site plan which is way short of the 900 million he threw out.

Someone on shaggy said airport peeps were talking about a possible 4th runway but I can't imagine where that would go. Maybe at the far eastern side of the complex if they move the TxDot Flight services building. It's just that you have Onion Creek at the south end so you run out of space pretty quickly.

The new maintenance complex being built on the north east side of the complex is going to free up so much space in the center of the grounds. It would be really nice to build a new terminal now next to the current "south" terminal. I guess a burning question is if the Barbara Jordan terminal needs a northern expansion in order to adequately support the traffic is how now even without the piers. You could almost double the length of upper/lower loading decks of Pres. Blvd in front of the terminal. That option still makes practical sense but seems less exciting and could take longer to complete.