Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials will celebrate the facility’s 25-year anniversary on May 23. Officials have seen growth since opening in 1999.

The full story

ABIA first opened to the public May 23, 1999, replacing the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Mayor Kirk Watson was serving as Austin’s mayor at the time.

Watson said at a groundbreaking on an expansion project for the airport April 22 he thought it was a “big airport” at the time, but now, the facility needs to expand for the growing number of passengers every year.

In 2023, airport officials experienced the busiest year on record for ABIA, breaking the year prior’s record by more than a million passengers.


This year alone, four days made the list of top 10 busiest days for ABIA, including the days following a total solar eclipse.

An expansion and development program, spanning over multiple years and consisting of multiple projects, aims to address this growth and modernize the airport, said ABIA spokesperson Sam Haynes.

Zooming in

On April 22, a ceremonial groundbreaking on the West Infill project was held, part of the expansion program. This project will add 75,000 square feet across four levels, increasing space for new security checkpoints, passenger processing and amenities.


This required the closure of the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint near the JetBlue ticket counter Feb. 5, which will be expanded to accommodate travelers.

Effective May 8, airport officials also consolidated security checkpoints and expedited screening programs TSA PreCheck and Clear screening will only be available at Checkpoint 2 West, near United Airlines.

In addition to the West Infill expansion, the following projects are estimated to begin construction this year as part of the expansion program:
  • Improvements to the international facility that will include new baggage carousels and more queuing space
  • Two parallel taxiways to connect the east and west sides of the building
  • Ticketing-level atrium infill, which will fill in an open space with 13,000 square feet to avoid TSA lines from queuing outside
The following are projects already in construction:What’s next

Airport officials are hosting an anniversary celebration at the airport May 23 in which Watson will declare May 23 as Austin-Bergstrom International Day.