Air‑service update: Austin sees seat growth, new seasonal routes and carriers expand service

Jamie Kazanoff, deputy chief of air service, reported a generally positive air‑service outlook for Austin, saying the airport has "a healthy July load of seats for sale for our passengers." He summarized quarterly seat gains and several carrier route changes that will affect summer and the upcoming winter season.

Kazanoff said seats were up about 3.5% for the quarter and that the fourth quarter of 2026 was showing a roughly 7% increase compared with the prior year. He said July was up about 2% year-over-year and highlighted airline-level changes: American Airlines planned to add roughly 2.7% more seats year-over-year; British Airways will move from double-daily to once daily flights for the winter season Oct. 25–Mar. 27; Delta added a seasonal San Jose flight beginning Oct. 6 (the "NerdBird") and announced a seasonal Fort Myers nonstop (Nov. 21–Apr. 10). Kazanoff also noted Porter began service May 21 and will serve Austin year round and that Southwest was operating at record daily departures.

He listed new destinations on the July schedule (Bozeman, Kalispell, Grand Cayman and Omaha) while noting Cleveland and Puerto Vallarta were not on the current schedule; Southwest had Puerto Vallarta suspended through at least Nov. 21. Kazanoff also pointed to a favorable change in one‑way domestic fares: Austin fares had fallen below the U.S. average, a competitive sign for the market.

Commissioner Chu asked whether Delta was planning nonstop Paris service after media rumors; Kazanoff said that was not an official Delta announcement, but that Austin has a strong business case for nonstop Paris and either Delta or Air France could operate such a route if announced. Kazanoff cautioned that airline scheduling can change and that some quarterly gains may fluctuate as carriers adjust nearer to departure windows.

Why it matters: capacity and route decisions influence passenger choice, tourism, business travel, and airport revenue; airline entries/exits and fare competitiveness affect planning for ground transportation, parking and future infrastructure needs.

The commission thanked Kazanoff for the briefing and had no further action on the update.