AUSTIN | ABIA Updates - Page 87

Digatisdi · #**1721** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 10:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUS

So we are getting a 747 from BA in October or is this just the rumor? Also, any new news on KE?

I've got my RSS feed set up to push notifications from ABIA when they do a new press release and so far, nothing.

My heart nearly skipped a beat the other day when I saw a new notification but it was just about the art along Spirit of Austin Lane

Jdawgboy · #**1722** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 10:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digatisdi

I've got my RSS feed set up to push notifications from ABIA when they do a new press release and so far, nothing.

My heart nearly skipped a beat the other day when I saw a new notification but it was just about the art along Spirit of Austin Lane

Well I would think they would aim for mid month for the announcement if they are not going to do it this week.

ILUVSAT · #**1723** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 11:29 PM**

Depending on the negotiations (assuming they are still ongoing), it may not happen when we would like. It may be May...it may be June...it may not happen in 2015?!?

In any case, since nothing is going on at SAT, I REALLY hope KE announces flights to AUS. I'd love to have a "local" airport with not only one, but, two true international service routes (i.e., transcontinental).

Digatisdi · #**1724** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 2:53 AM**

One thing I noticed that I don't think has been touched on, is that Korea is a major stopping point on travel between the United States and Vietnam. There's that great Brookings interactive that notes that from 2003 to 2011, not only did travel between Austin and Seoul increase by +140.5%, but travel between Austin and Hồ Chí Minh City was up by +71.4% and travel to Hà Nội was up by +722.7%, although it should be noted that the numbers were small from 44 in 2003 to 362 in 2011.

DoubleC · #**1725** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 4:30 AM**

Soo any reason people keep thinking KE could possibly start flying to Austin besides the Brookings website indicating good travel between Austin and Seoul? The number could have dropped, although this is unlikely considering the growth at AUS recently. Any other sources?

Jdawgboy · #**1726** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 8:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleC

Soo any reason people keep thinking KE could possibly start flying to Austin besides the Brookings website indicating good travel between Austin and Seoul? The number could have dropped, although this is unlikely considering the growth at AUS recently. Any other sources?

I don't know any other sources off hand but there are a number of reasons why such a route might be considered.

1. Samsung, their only semiconductor chip plant outside of Korea is here. That would mean there must be some sort of regular business travel going on.

2. Austin’s Asian population is exploding, growing at a faster rate than the Hispanic population. In terms of break down (not including Indian though that demographic is rapidly growing as well, I'm focusing specifically east Asian), Korean and Vietnamese make up the majority. The Japanese and Chinese populations are coming on up too.

3. Because of the growing Asian population travel demand to Asia is increasing. My cousin worked in the mall not too long ago and he would tell me a lot of Koreans that work at area Tech companies would talk to him about traveling back to Korea to visit family. He was surprised at the amount of people he talked to that would be traveling to Korea.

Of course these are simple observations but they give a general idea why a possible route and I must stress POSSIBLE because other than rumors and some bits and pieces from (IMO a reliable forum member

,), we really do not know for sure one way or the other.

drummer · #**1727** Posted **Apr 11, 2015, 3:01 AM**

I'd be for any Asian airline having a regular direct route to Austin. Getting to South Korea is easy and having a direct flight to ATX would save me so much time when I come home to see family. If one guy's opinion counts, let's do it!

jg6544 · #**1728** Posted **Apr 12, 2015, 8:51 PM**

Just curious, how much Korea/Taiwan/Japan - Austin traffic is there. It seems to me that Austin, even with all the tech industries, doesn't generate enough itself and has the added disadvantage of not offering the connecting flights DFW and IAH do. Austin may just have to continue making do with changing planes in Dallas (as has been the case since the 1950s at least) or Houston.

Digatisdi · #**1729** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 12:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jg6544

Just curious, how much Korea/Taiwan/Japan - Austin traffic is there. It seems to me that Austin, even with all the tech industries, doesn't generate enough itself and has the added disadvantage of not offering the connecting flights DFW and IAH do. Austin may just have to continue making do with changing planes in Dallas (as has been the case since the 1950s at least) or Houston.

Well the most recent data I can find is the Brookings data, but if we put an extremely conservative estimate of 4% per year increase in passenger traffic to cities served by KE in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan (respectively increased to 27464, 13451, and 10842) you have 51,757 potential passengers per year. If you add in destinations in Mainland China (incl. Hong Kong) that Korean Air serves, assuming the same rate of increase you add a further 23,830 potential passengers, and Vietnam adds 6,386. You wind up with a potential for around 90,000 passengers per year if you add in Malaysia and the Philippines. Of course, not all of those passengers would be flying KE, and all of these are just in the top 200 destinations, but I'd say those are some pretty strong numbers.

Tyrone Shoes · #**1730** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 3:56 AM**

I think there is an element that is not considered and would use the Austin-Seoul flight. From Kileen/Ft.Hood thru Austin and down to San Antonio and even down towards Corpus there is a huge retired military population that when they were on active duty stationed on US bases in Japan and Korea married locals. The Austin airport would be preferred to driving to Dallas/Ft.Worth or Houston airports.

drummer · #**1731** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 5:36 AM**

That's a great point.

electricron · #**1732** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

That's a great point.

Those retired military personnel are more likely to be living in Temple or San Antonio than Austin. Those living in San Antonio aren't going to drive up I35 to Austin to catch a flight to Korea. Those living in Temple will drive to either DFW, San Antonio, or Austin depending upon which airport has the direct flight - although I will admit Austin will be closer to them.

It takes a fairly large jetliner to fly non-stop between Texas and Korea. If you're basing the proposed service on military retirees taking a vacation, which mostly use weekend departure dates, what would you do for weekday departures with that plane? The airlines are going to want to use that plane more than once a week. That's why airlines spend much of their efforts appeasing business clients, where their flights are in steady demand on a daily basis. It would be very helpful for Austin to develop business ties with Korean companies to establish a more than once a week service.

austlar1 · #**1733** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:38 PM**

Does a Samsung chip facility employing about 3,000 workers and a design staff of several hundred housed in what is probably the largest microchip manufacturing facility in the US meet your criteria for a substantial business tie with Korea? Samsung has over $4billion invested in this facility which first opened in 2007 or 2008 and more recently almost doubled in size.

hookem · #**1734** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

It takes a fairly large jetliner to fly non-stop between Texas and Korea. If you're basing the proposed service on military retirees taking a vacation, which mostly use weekend departure dates, what would you do for weekday departures with that plane? The airlines are going to want to use that plane more than once a week. That's why airlines spend much of their efforts appeasing business clients, where their flights are in steady demand on a daily basis. It would be very helpful for Austin to develop business ties with Korean companies to establish a more than once a week service.

Good idea. Maybe we can get their biggest company to open their largest US facility here.

The ATX · #**1735** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

Good idea. Maybe we can get their biggest company to open their largest US facility here.

LoneStarMike · #**1736** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Does a Samsung chip facility employing about 3,000 workers and a design staff of several hundred housed in what is probably the largest microchip manufacturing facility in the US meet your criteria for a substantial business tie with Korea?

Not to mention many of those chips (and other stuff) gets shipped. Everyone always focuses on passengers, but airlines make money hauling cargo, too. If KE were to offer a cargo-only flight, I don't think it would qualify for any incentives. If they offer passenger service, they probably would, and they can still haul cargo.

Jdawgboy · #**1737** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 6:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Those retired military personnel are more likely to be living in Temple or San Antonio than Austin. Those living in San Antonio aren't going to drive up I35 to Austin to catch a flight to Korea. Those living in Temple will drive to either DFW, San Antonio, or Austin depending upon which airport has the direct flight - although I will admit Austin will be closer to them.

Plenty of people use ABIA who live in San Antonio now so why wouldn't they all of a sudden not with a direct to Korea? I guarantee there are people who come up here for British Airways.

I doubt people from the Temple/Fort Hood/Killeen area would drive all the way to SAT to fly unless it's to Mexico. There are more direct routes at ABIA to begin with and unless its such a good deal on a direct route that it's worth the offset of fuel to drive that far then I can't really see many doing that. Besides by that point they might as well just fly out of DFW.

I've posted this graphic before a few pages back but I'll post again since you seem to think ABIA is only used by people who live in the Austin metro. This is from their most recent PDF report that came out.

AUS · #**1738** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 8:38 PM**

Recently there have been rumors of Southwest Airlines planning a AUS-PUJ route? Have you guys heard about it? Also, any updates from the South Terminal?

GoldenBoot · #**1739** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Does a Samsung chip facility employing about 3,000 workers and a design staff of several hundred housed in what is probably the largest microchip manufacturing facility in the US meet your criteria for a substantial business tie with Korea? Samsung has over $4billion invested in this facility which first opened in 2007 or 2008 and more recently almost doubled in size.

Samsung has invested more than $13B in this facility since it opened in 1987. This is the largest investment (aggregate) by a foreign company in Texas and one of the largest single foreign investments in the United States.

Jdawgboy · #**1740** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUS

Recently there have been rumors of Southwest Airlines planning a AUS-PUJ route? Have you guys heard about it? Also, any updates from the South Terminal?

Now that would be cool! Having a direct to the Caribbean would open up a lot of possibilities.