AUSTIN- Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines (DL) is significantly expanding its presence at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), demonstrating a strong commitment to the rapidly growing Texas capital.
According to recent schedule updates shared by industry analyst Adrian Waltz, Delta is adding five new routes from Austin, further solidifying its hub status in the city.
Delta Austin Routes
The new routes from Austin include:
- Indianapolis (IND) – Starting May 2025, operating daily
- Memphis (MEM) – Commencing May 2025, with daily service
- Panama City Beach (ECP) – Launching in March 2025, operating daily
- San Francisco (SFO) – Beginning June 2025, with daily flights
- Tampa (TPA) – Starting June 2025, offering daily service
This expansion reflects Delta’s strategic focus on Austin as a key market, tapping into the city’s booming tech industry and rapidly growing population.
The diverse mix of destinations caters to both business and leisure travelers, connecting Austin to major business centers like San Francisco and Indianapolis, as well as popular vacation spots like Panama City Beach and Tampa.
In addition to the Austin expansion, Delta is also resuming service between Marquette, Michigan (MQT) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), strengthening its network in the Upper Midwest.
UPDATED: Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning, confirmed the airline’s commitment to the city with plans for 55 peak-day departures by Summer 2025. This expansion builds upon a 20% increase in seat capacity implemented in April, which connected Austin to new corporate and leisure destinations both within and outside Texas.
The airline’s growth strategy in Austin aligns with the city’s evolving needs. Scott Santoro, Vice President of Los Angeles and Sales-West, emphasized Delta’s responsiveness to Austin’s growth. He highlighted the presence of a dedicated corporate and agency sales team, ready to facilitate travel for all customers to and from this important tech and business hub.
Market Data
Recent data analysis of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s (AUS) air travel market unveils significant trends across various routes. The study, covering the period ending March 2024, highlights changes in traffic, pricing, and market share for key destinations.
The Austin to Panama City Beach route witnessed a 12.5% increase in daily traffic, rising from 56 to 63 passengers. Despite this growth, average round-trip fares dropped by 9.8% to $469. Southwest Airlines (WN) dominates this market with a 67% share, followed by Delta at 14% and American Airlines (AA) at 13%. Notably, Austin accounts for 78% of ticket sales on this route.
Indianapolis saw a 5.9% boost in daily passengers from Austin, reaching 234. Fares decreased by 11.7% to $498 round-trip. Southwest Airlines expanded its market share to 60%, while American Airlines holds 28%. The route averages 1.5 daily flights in October 2024, decreasing to 1.0 in January 2025.
The Austin-Memphis route experienced a slight increase in daily traffic to 73 passengers, with fares rising by 6.3% to $589 round-trip. American Airlines leads this market with a 51% share, followed by Southwest at 26%. Currently, no direct flights serve this route.
Traffic on the Austin-San Francisco route declined by 3.8% to 604 daily passengers, while fares remained stable at $758 round-trip. United Airlines (UA) maintains its dominance with a 53% market share, followed by Alaska Airlines (AS) at 31%. The route offers 6.6 daily flights in October 2024, reducing to 5.4 in January 2025.
The Austin-Tampa route saw a modest 1.7% increase in daily passengers, reaching 292. Fares decreased by 6.4% to $540 round-trip. Southwest Airlines strengthened its position with a 62% market share, while American Airlines holds 29%. The route averages 2.8 daily flights in October 2024, dropping to 2.5 in January 2025.
American Cuts Austin Routes
Well as the saying goes one man’s loss is another man’s gain, American Airlines (AA) is drastically reducing its presence at AUS as it cuts six routes.
American Airlines is rapidly dismantling its Austin focus city strategy, reversing its aggressive expansion from 2021-2022. The airline, which had grown to serve over three dozen destinations from Austin, is now systematically reducing its operations in the Texas capital.
Adrian Waltz’s last to last week’s schedule update reveals significant route reductions.
The airline has been systematically reducing its Austin operations throughout 2024:
- January 2024: Flights to Bozeman, Cincinnati, Cozumel, Jacksonville, Memphis, and Reno were terminated.
- February 2024: Routes to Albuquerque, Eagle-Vail, El Paso, Fort Myers, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Tampa, and Washington Dulles were cut.
- March 2024: Nassau flights ended.
- April 2024: Services to Liberia and Puerto Vallarta ceased.
The latest cuts include the following cities:
- November 2024: Boston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, and Raleigh
- January 2025: Orange County
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on a normal day operates around 300 daily flights.
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