Austin-Bergstrom’s 2026 traffic picture: January passenger totals, peak months, and route changes taking shape

Early 2026 data shows steady demand at AUS as carriers adjust schedules and terminals consolidate

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) opened 2026 with 1,435,466 passengers in January, a 2.77% increase from January 2025. Enplanements totaled 703,747, up 3.05% year over year. The figures extend a pattern in which seasonal lows typically occur in winter, followed by a sharp spring ramp-up and the highest volumes in late spring and summer.

Airline-by-airline results in January underscored shifting market dynamics. Southwest remained the largest carrier by passengers in the month, but its January total was slightly lower than the year prior. Delta posted one of the largest year-over-year gains among major airlines in January, while American recorded a decline. Several low-cost and international carriers also reported double-digit changes, reflecting the combined effects of schedule shifts, capacity decisions, and demand for specific destinations.

What “busiest months” have looked like recently

Recent history provides context for what AUS can expect as 2026 moves toward the spring and summer peak. In May 2024, the airport recorded 2,068,404 passengers, the busiest month on record at the time. That benchmark was later surpassed in October 2025, when total passenger traffic reached 2,086,037—setting a new monthly record.

For the full year 2025, AUS handled 21,666,852 arriving and departing passengers, the airport’s third-busiest year on record. Year-end totals showed growth that was uneven across carriers, with some airlines expanding while others contracted.

New and expanding nonstop service coming into focus for 2026

Among the route developments tied to 2026 schedules, Delta is set to launch new nonstop service between Austin and Kansas City beginning June 7, 2026, with twice-daily flights. Separately, Southwest announced a new nonstop route between Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Austin expected to begin in June 2026, adding another link between Central Texas and the Midwest/Ohio Valley region.

• Delta: Austin–Kansas City nonstop service planned to begin June 7, 2026 (twice daily).

• Southwest: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky–Austin nonstop service planned to begin in June 2026.

Terminal operations change: South Terminal closure and airline move

A major operational change is scheduled for spring. The South Terminal’s final day of operations is set for March 31, 2026. Beginning April 1, 2026, Allegiant and Frontier flights are planned to operate from the Barbara Jordan Terminal, consolidating commercial operations under one terminal. The South Terminal site is slated for removal as part of airfield enabling work tied to a midfield taxiways project within the airport’s long-term expansion program.

Key dates: March 31, 2026 (final day of South Terminal operations) and April 1, 2026 (Allegiant and Frontier shift to the Barbara Jordan Terminal).

With passenger volumes routinely exceeding two million in peak months and additional routes planned for the summer season, 2026 is shaping up as another high-demand year—one in which schedule growth, terminal logistics, and long-term buildout plans will intersect with day-to-day travel capacity at AUS.