Austin–Bergstrom International Airport

Airport Information

Austin–Bergstrom International Airport

On March 3, 1943, the Del Valle Airfield was officially renamed the Bergstrom Army Airfield after Capt. John August Earl Bergstrom who was the first native Austinite to be killed in action during World War II. When the Air Force split from the Army to become its own military branch in 1948, the base was renamed Bergstrom Air Force base. It would have this name until it was decommissioned in the early 1990s, with all military aviation ceasing in 1995, after more than 50 years of faithful service.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) stands on the foundations of the base named after Capt. Bergstrom some 70 years ago. Opening in 1999, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport carries on the legacy of Bergstrom Air Force Base.

Austin’s first Municipal airport however was actually Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. In the late 1920s, Austin City Council requested that the Army Corps at Kelly Field in San Antonio send a pilot over Austin to identify a suitable site for a municipal airport. Claire Chennault, who later became famous with the World War II “Flying Tigers,” recommended Matthews farm tract four miles NE of downtown Austin. This became Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, owned by the City of Austin and honoring a City Council Member who died while in service. Officially dedicated on October 14, 1930, the main terminal building was dedicated on May 27, 1961, then expanded in 1983. The east terminal was dedicated in April 1990. The Federal Inspection Station, located near the terminal, was completed in 1995.

Like many older airports, Mueller was on the outskirts of town in 1930. Austin’s population grew rapidly, becoming a high tech hotspot and flights into the city increased substantially. Mueller sat landlocked on 711 acres in the middle of Austin, with urban growth on all sides.

Eight miles from the Capitol was Bergstrom Air Force Base, slated for closure in 1990 by order of Congress, still a fully operational military facility. When the Base Realignment and Closure Commission finally decided to decommission it, the land was returned to the City of Austin. In May 1999, Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was closed and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) opened May 23, 1999. ABIA was the first airport be built under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. What might have been an economic blow, not to mention the ongoing problem of caring for an abandoned military facility, had been averted. As Mayor Kirk Watson said at the time, “Austin turned lemons into lemonade.”

COA officials pledged that no tax dollars would be used to build Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Even though the City of Austin owns the facility, the airport is not supported by the City’s general fund. The people and businesses that use the airport pay the entire ongoing budget. Any revenue generated from the airport goes back into its operations, covering its operating expenses.

Airport News

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and British Airways celebrate 10 years of connecting Austin and London

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and British Airways have proudly marked a decade of partnership with non-stop flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Since its inaugural service on March 3, 2014, British Airways has flown more than …

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport awarded $39 Million by FAA for expansion projects

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) will receive $39.1 million in federal funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. This significant allocation will support two vital near-term and long-term improvement …

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport launches new reserved parking options for travelers

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has launched a new online parking reservation system that provides convenient and easy, advance-booking for all on-airport campus parking options. This includes both parking garages and all surface parking lots. This …

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport welcomes Viva Aerobus, offering nonstop service to Monterrey

Ultra-low-cost Mexican carrier, Viva Aerobus, announced its arrival to Austin by launching nonstop flights to Monterrey, Mexico. Starting on March 22, 2024, this year-round service will operate four days per week. Viva Aerobus now joins …

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is doing preliminary construction work to accommodate new, upgraded TSA screening machines

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) have announced the preliminary construction work for the installation of new Computed Tomography (CT) X-ray scanners at TSA checkpoints has begun. AUS …

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport welcomes Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines has announced its entrance to the Austin and Central Texas air service market with new nonstop service to Panama City launching from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on July 6, 2023. The airline, based …

Siemens Logistics supplies new baggage handling system at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, USA

Latest conveyor and sorting technology combined with innovative software Significant system enhancement for airlines processing baggage for departing flights Improved flow of airport operations for better passenger satisfaction Siemens Logistics will soon begin installation of the …

Contact

Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
3600 Presidential Blvd
Austin
Texas
United States
TX 78719
  • +1 512-530-2242