City leaders celebrated the opening of Southwest Airlines' new Austin crew base in March, a part of the airline's local expansion plans supported by public economic deals that advanced last year.
The big picture
Southwest is now the largest carrier at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and plans to continue growing its local presence. Its AUS Crew Base, or airline employee hub, officially started up March 1 and is a key feature of Southwest's new incentive agreements with both the city and state. The base is eventually expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, mainly pilots and flight attendants with positions paying an average salary of $180,000.
Establishing a base out of ABIA doesn't include a new physical facility but is a demonstration that Southwest is "concentrating a significant corporate presence in and around Austin," airline spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said.
Southwest will remain a key tenant at ABIA through the ongoing airport expansion, including the lease of up to 18 new gates at a second terminal that's now being developed. More than 130 Southwest flights now depart from Austin's airport on peak days, and airline President and CEO Bob Jordan previously said he hopes to increase that total to more than 200 daily flights in the future.
The context
Southwest now has about 1,000 pilots and flight attendants based in Austin, a total expected to double in the next year-plus, according to Lunsford.
The airline's local expansion is also expected to include an expanded command center and new flight attendant training facility, both still to come as ABIA's footprint grows.
"We currently have a command center at AUS but plan to build a larger one as part of the upcoming terminal expansion project. The flight attendant training facility is also something that would happen a little farther down the road," Lunsford said.
Texas supported Southwest's Austin project with a $14 million business grant and $375,000 incentive for veteran hiring. Austin's incentive package is worth up to $5.5 million over five years, contingent on requirements for job creation and payments to a child care assistance fund.
The city projected the Southwest expansion will indirectly support more than 5,000 area jobs in related industries and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in total economic impacts. The deal is also expected to benefit Austin with more than $10 million in annual tax revenue and will result in more than $8 million in airport facility investments by Southwest.
