As Austin grows, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has one big year after another, and 2025 was no different. In fact, it was the third-busiest year on record. A total of 21,666,852 passengers departed and arrived over the course of last year.
The City of Austin highlighted passenger and airport data in its daily newsletter on February 2, including the number of tacos eaten (1,754,212) as well as pounds of Salt Lick Barbecue brisket (94,249). More than 2,000 bands and musicians played sets, too.
From January to December of 2025, despite the relative record-setting, passenger traffic was actually down 0.44 percent compared to all of 2024. That included 10,857,912 enplanements, which was down 0.23 percent. Southwest Airlines carried the largest share of passengers, totaling 8,904,277. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines were the next most popular, with 3,819,112 and 3,508,972 passengers, respectively.
Planes flew a significant amount lighter this year, with air cargo down 8.45 percent to 276,375,963 pounds. Of that, 93,296 pounds was mail, down a huge 83.58 percent.
Passengers might not notice less than half a percent decrease in traffic, but there were some more noticeable changes at the airport over the past year. Four new nonstop destinations were added: Reno, Nevada, and Milwaukee, Minnesota via Southwest Airlines; and Memphis, Tennessee, and Palm Springs, California via Delta Air Lines. Other cities that were already connected to ABIA (21 in total) also saw new nonstop service.
The newsletter points out that the expansion program Journey With AUS brought the beginning of construction on the Yellow Garage, which will eventually add 7,000 new parking spaces, plus streamlined security and bag-checking operations. It didn’t mention some of the more artsy additions to the airport: a new Antone’s with a stage and bar, a new art installation that floats over passengers’ heads, and the start of an initiative where 23 artist-led teams find out what kind of art people want to see next.