Austin Bergstrom Airport to Double Capacity

AUSTIN-Austin officials expect almost every aspect of the new Austin Bergstrom International Airport to double in the facility’s upcoming master plan. And they do mean everything, from the terminal gates and support facilities to the apron space and cargo abilities. The airport opened in April 1999 and is down to its final gate for leasing.

Passenger traffic in 2000 increased by 14%, up to 7.6 million passengers coming both on and off planes. That number will be almost 19 million by 2020. Air cargo was up 39%, with 357 tons of cargo shipped. The growth is continuing this year.

The airport’s performance has surpassed the original master plan, completed in 1993. “At this point, our forecasting is based upon those demand levels,” Tamara Moore, airport planner, tells GlobeSt.com. “We look at what our facilities can handle and what we do need in the future, in terms of land side and air side facilities.”