2023 has already started with a record at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Airport experienced explosive growth in 2022, as passenger numbers rebounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then some.
A record 21,089,289 passengers departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last year.
We are tracking all the numbers in what will be another busy year for AUS. Follow our interactive charts below.
Passenger growth at the Austin airport is hitting forecasts five years ahead of schedule
We’ve created several interactive charts to help break down the data so it’s easier to navigate through all the passenger numbers. Scroll down to explore all the data or jump to a specific question using these links:
What is the busiest year on record?
2022 was by far a record year for AUS. More than 21 million passengers boarded a flight departing from the airport, more than 3.7 million more than the previous record set in 2019.
With 21 million passengers, Austin Airport had a successful year in 2022
For 2023, at this point we only have passenger totals for the month of January. More than 1.5 million passengers have been reported so far this year.
What is the busiest month on record?
At the end of last year, all 10 of the top 10 busiest months of all time were in 2022. Right now, May 2022 is the busiest month ever for AUS, with over 2 million passengers.
October 2022 is the only other month to see more than 2 million passengers.
We track monthly passenger totals in 2023 in the chart below.
January 2023 ranks as the busiest January on record in AUS.
What is the busiest day ever recorded?
October 24, 2022 is the current busiest day on record, with over 43,000 passengers reported. The peak in passenger totals came as travelers left Austin after the F1 weekend.
Days during SXSW, Spring Break and the ACL also feature in the top 10 busiest days on record.
Which airline carries the most passengers?
Southwest Airlines is the largest airline operating in AUS in terms of passenger traffic. The airline often accounts for nearly 40% of passengers each month.
It follows American Airlines, which accounts for about a quarter of passengers. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines often swap third and fourth places.
Which airlines are experiencing the fastest growth?
The chart below shows how the passenger totals stack up throughout the year. Use the drop down menu above to select a specific airline.
The chart below shows the year-over-year growth in total passengers. If a month is colored green, passenger totals were higher in 2023 than the same month in 2022. If red, passenger numbers have decreased.
The chart below shows how this year’s total passengers compare to 2022. If an airline has a green box in a particular month, it means that the airline has experienced an increase in passengers compared to the same month of the year last. If the box is red, the airline experienced a decline in passengers that month.
For example, British Airways reported a 131% increase in passengers in January 2023 compared to January 2022. Meanwhile, the number of passengers flying with Frontier Airlines decreased by 31%.
What new routes are coming in 2023?
Several airlines launched or announced new routes in 2023. We have an updated list in the table below.
If a route is brand new to the airport, it will be highlighted yellow in the right hand column. Others listed in the table are new routes for a specific airline, but the route is already offered by a competing airline.
Here are some of our previous reports on new routes arriving in AUS this year:
