It usually takes months, if not years for airlines to gain approval to operate international routes. Between securing the right ground service equipment at the airport to coordinating with the respective governments, there are many boxes that need to be checked off before an international flight can take flight. The current COVID-19 crisis, however, has forced governments, airports and airlines to adjust normal procedures in an effort to quickly schedule unusual routes for repatriation flights and critical cargo delivery. As…
Empty flights as a result of the COVID-19 crisis have turned bustling airport terminals across the country into eerie, empty halls with closed concession stands and flight display systems showing just a handful of flights per day. As airlines reported record passenger numbers in the years leading up to 2020,…
Spirit Airlines inaugurated new flights to Cancun from five U.S. cities on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in time for spring break travel. The Miramar, Flo.-based carrier now serves Cancun from 11 U.S. destinations with Austin, Nashville, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh joining the list. For Austin, the departure of Spirit flight 1054…
This past March marked the 10th anniversary of Qatar Airways' Doha-Houston route. The Middle Eastern carrier first commenced service to the Energy Capital of the World in March 2009, only its third route to the U.S. at the time. Qatar Airways launched the route to Houston during a time of…
ExpressJet Airlines, a United Express regional carrier, began commercial service with its newest fleet type, the Embraer E175, on Thursday. The first flight, UA4042, departed Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, coincidentally the airline's two main bases, at 8:10 a.m. and arrived on-time at 11:17 a.m.,…
Just over a year after Delta Air Lines announced its plans to build a Sky Club at Austin Bergstrom International Airport during a visit to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the airline celebrated the completion of its newest lounge space in the U.S. on Monday ahead of its opening to…
While Lufthansa’s new livery dropped the airline’s iconic yellow, Austin Bergstrom International Airport’s west check-in wing was decked out with its recognizable yellow branding and signage as the airline prepared for the inaugural flight between the Texas state capitol and Frankfurt, Germany. The airline announced new service to Austin in…
History was made in the capital of Texas when British Airways announced the first ever transatlantic flight to Austin in Sept. 2013. Six short months later, BA190 made its inaugural flight between Austin, Texas and London Heathrow, marking the first regularly scheduled transatlantic flight from Austin. As the first Chatham…
For the ninth consecutive year, Austin Bergstrom International Airport has reported a year-over-year rise in passenger numbers. The Central Texas airport welcomed 15,819,912 passengers in 2018, a 13.9 percent increase over 2017 passenger numbers. For the first time in its history, the airport saw at least one million flyers passing…
Taos Air is one of the newest airlines in the U.S. In early October, the airline announced its debut flights between Taos, New Mexico and Texas cities Austin and Dallas Love Field. The charter air service will operate three weekly flights on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting on Dec. 20,…
