AUSTIN | ABIA Updates - Page 258

AvgeekDL · #**5141** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 1:12 AM**

Shifting gears here, could the new head terminal begin construction next year if the FAA approves in a timely manner? It seems that is the most critically needed thing at ABIA right now?

khowaga · #**5142** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 1:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AvgeekDL

Shifting gears here, could the new head terminal begin construction next year if the FAA approves in a timely manner? It seems that is the most critically needed thing at ABIA right now?

Plans, permits, funding approved by city council...probably 18-24 months (conservatively) once FAA approves it.

This is assuming the FAA actually needs to approve the head terminal, since it’s construction doesn’t effect airfield operations.

cazkey · #**5143** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by khowaga

DL has been saying this all along (‘Mexico is our Texas’). It’s kinda weird tho, since...no one is going to fly between California and Florida on AM. I’m not even sure that’s legal.

As for Austin, they’re not planning a hub here (THERE I SAID IT)—Focus city operations are more about O&D traffic and less about connecting traffic, so there’s plenty of room for DL to grow in AUS and treat MEX as a hub at the same time.

This is the right answer. That's called "cabotage" - basically, it's when a foreign company ships goods or passengers between two cities in another country, and it's not currently allowed by the US. It's possible that the partnership could mean more Mexican passengers traveling to the US through Delta hubs, but it's very unlikely we'll see domestic US passengers connecting through Mexican airports anytime soon.

masonh2479 · #**5144** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 4:54 PM**

Looks like we won’t be passing Love Field anytime soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...in-nation.html

Novacek · #**5145** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Looks like we won’t be passing Love Field anytime soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...in-nation.html

The article is rather misleading.

Love field saw a huge bump in 2015. Like 50% growth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Love_Field

But much more moderate growth before and since.

Also, I don't know where Business Journals is getting their numbers.

"Passenger traffic at the airport mushroomed 39 percent from 2007 to 2017"

The study they link to says 62% for Austin.

https://upgradedpoints.com/fastest-g...orts-in-the-us

ILUVSAT · #**5146** Posted **Oct 18, 2018, 7:07 PM**

I have noticed that the ABJ's writers have gotten quite lazy in their reporting. In fact, they do a pretty bad job. It's too bad, because the Biz Journals used to be really good. Now, they're meh and getting their leads from other publications.

In fact, and I'll have to find it, there was one article where Salazar (of the ABJ) literally plagiarized a press release for his article.

AvgeekDL · #**5147** Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:08 AM**

That article was poor journalism to say the least. DAL only experienced a ton of growth because of the end of (most) Wright restrictions. It is simply catching up to where it should’ be, though the ridiculous 20 gate cap will limit further expansion. AUS is the fastest organic growing airport IMO.

hookem · #**5148** Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Looks like we won’t be passing Love Field anytime soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...in-nation.html

We already have. AUS had actually already overtaken DAL each month for the past few months (since May or June I think), and at our current rate of increase we could be ahead of them overall for the year. Here are the August passenger statistics for both. You can look up the earlier months to see when AUS started having more passengers per month -

http://www.dallas-lovefield.com/pdf/...planements.pdf

http://austintexas.gov/sites/default...s/Aug_2018.pdf

The article is not technically wrong for the period it was looking at, but claiming DAL is growing faster right now is completely inaccurate.

masonh2479 · #**5149** Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 4:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

We already have. AUS had actually already overtaken DAL each month for the past few months (since May or June I think), and at our current rate of increase we could be ahead of them overall for the year. Here are the August passenger statistics for both. You can look up the earlier months to see when AUS started having more passengers per month -

http://www.dallas-lovefield.com/pdf/...planements.pdf

http://austintexas.gov/sites/default...s/Aug_2018.pdf

The article is not technically wrong for the period it was looking at, but claiming DAL is growing faster right now is completely inaccurate.

Well sorry for posting a completely bogus article, lol. I thought ABJ was reliable...it will be interesting to see how ABIA and Love Field compared at the end of the year.

keiffers · #**5150** Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 4:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

I have noticed that the ABJ's writers have gotten quite lazy in their reporting. In fact, they do a pretty bad job. It's too bad, because the Biz Journals used to be really good. Now, they're meh and getting their leads from other publications.

In fact, and I'll have to find it, there was one article where Salazar (of the ABJ) literally plagiarized a press release for his article.

Sadly thats most media these days. I can't even count the number of stories I've read where the grammar and spelling was atrocious.

Not to mention I had to correct the Community Impact when they posted a picture of Tom Miller Dam and said it was Mansfield Dam

On a different note, BA is changing to the 77W in a little over a week

khowaga · #**5151** Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 11:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by masonh2479

There's rumors they are having financial trouble, cutting back on a few routes recently. I do think AUS would do better than CVG though, better O&D I believe. And well, WOW was supposed to come in here but Norwegian said get outta here.

I think they have a really neat livery and would love for them to come here.

There’s a rumor going around a.net that WOW is blinking first and exiting the Dallas market. And yet they’re apparently announcing a new North American route next week. So

masonh2479 · #**5152** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 1:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by khowaga

There’s a rumor going around a.net that WOW is blinking first and exiting the Dallas market. And yet they’re apparently announcing a new North American route next week. So

Hmmm, surprising given their load factors, they fly A333s on the market as well. Is this rumor from the trustworthy crowd?

Edit: Found the article on a.net and looks legit. I also though there was no way three carriers could survive at DFW, AA would never back down so it was either IcelandAir or WOW. IcelandAirs lfs have been worse but WOW may really be being proactive and leaving a battleground for a promising market to the south that could arguably attract the same number of pax given the huge population of the San Antonio and Austin metro area. I don’t know if these flights were axed for they just haven’t been loaded yet.
https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...=Wow#p20794715

https://thepointsguy.com/news/wow-air-axes-jfk-and-dfw/

AvgeekDL · #**5153** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 2:42 PM**

Is Volaris ending AUS next year?

Someone just updated the Wikipedia page to say so

ILUVSAT · #**5154** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AvgeekDL

Is Volaris ending AUS next year?

Someone just updated the Wikipedia page to say so

Don't know. But, obviously, take all info on Wiki with a grain of salt. Anyone can go in there and alter information.

If it is true, there must be verified public information/source (i.e., like a presser from Volaris) out there somewhere.

khowaga · #**5155** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Don't know. But, obviously, take all info on Wiki with a grain of salt. Anyone can go in there and alter information.

If it is true, there must be verified public information/source (i.e., like a presser from Volaris) out there somewhere.

I can't find anything in English or Spanish, but that doesn't mean its not true. But Volaris have been increasing their (admittedly dismal) LFs this year, so it's a bit odd that they would put up with such small pax loads for so long and then pull the plug once they're finally improving.

On the other hand, the Mexican market appears to be a bit soft. AM is down to 5x a week on AUS-MEX right now.

khowaga · #**5156** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Hmmm, surprising given their load factors, they fly A333s on the market as well. Is this rumor from the trustworthy crowd?

Edit: Found the article on a.net and looks legit. I also though there was no way three carriers could survive at DFW, AA would never back down so it was either IcelandAir or WOW. IcelandAirs lfs have been worse but WOW may really be being proactive and leaving a battleground for a promising market to the south that could arguably attract the same number of pax given the huge population of the San Antonio and Austin metro area. I don’t know if these flights were axed for they just haven’t been loaded yet.
https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...=Wow#p20794715

https://thepointsguy.com/news/wow-air-axes-jfk-and-dfw/

WOW has dropped Cleveland, Cincinnati, and St Louis (and, if this rumor is true, JFK and Dallas--there is a question as to whether they are leaving or the flights haven't been loaded -- a spokesman says they "haven't decided."). But still, if they can't make Dallas work at 90% LFs, it points to something more structural than over-competition. There's a.net speculation (=grain of salt) that the A333 is the wrong aircraft for the route, but there's nothing else in their fleet that can make it from KEF-DFW profitably.

Still, we shall see.

khowaga · #**5157** Posted **Oct 21, 2018, 11:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by khowaga

I can't find anything in English or Spanish, but that doesn't mean its not true. But Volaris have been increasing their (admittedly dismal) LFs this year, so it's a bit odd that they would put up with such small pax loads for so long and then pull the plug once they're finally improving.

On the other hand, the Mexican market appears to be a bit soft. AM is down to 5x a week on AUS-MEX right now.

The weekly OAG update posted on a.net confirms the flight is zeroed out after January. I tried a dummy booking and nothing shows up either.

Seems legit.

khowaga · #**5158** Posted **Oct 22, 2018, 12:24 PM**

F1 charters today! I see 6 departures to MEX (2 Aeromexico, 3 Miami Air, and one American). Anything else interesting? I remember a couple of years back there were two to São Paulo...

StoOgE · #**5159** Posted **Oct 22, 2018, 12:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by khowaga

F1 charters today! I see 6 departures to MEX (2 Aeromexico, 3 Miami Air, and one American). Anything else interesting? I remember a couple of years back there were two to São Paulo...

Yeah, but that was moving equipment to the Brazilian GP. there is a new race in the middle.

khowaga · #**5160** Posted **Oct 22, 2018, 1:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Yeah, but that was moving equipment to the Brazilian GP. there is a new race in the middle.

IIRC they were pax charters (United). Probably moving personnel down there for same; either that or a travel agency arranged something to get a bunch of fans up here for the race.

I see on the cargo end there was an Atlas 744 that went down to MEX first thing this morning.

Of course, today’s kind of a crap day, weather-wise, for spotting...