The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport released a behind-the-scenes look at the West Infill project this week. Here’s what it shows about the progress on the 75,000+ square-foot addition.
The highly anticipated expansion is expected to be completed in the spring. It will feature enough space for an (up to) eight-lane Checkpoint 3, “reducing wait times and making the screening process smoother, which means getting to your gate faster,” the video’s narrator states.
The other main feature of the expansion is the implementation of the airport’s new outbound baggage handling system. Video viewers can now visualize the trip their luggage takes through the airport on a future trip.
“This new … system will take your bags on a 1.5 mile journey on a conveyor belt that processes 4,000 bags an hour,” the narrator says. “This will reduce delays, getting you to your destination on time.”
The baggage system is necessary as AUS strains to accommodate the 20+ million passengers that pass through its gates every year. That number is expected to eventually rise to 30 million annual passengers.
The project also adds three new ticket counters to the Barbara Jordan Terminal, as well as a lounge on the top floor. “Every detail of this project is designed to make AUS safer, more efficient, and more comfortable for the millions of passengers we welcome each year,” the narrator states.
The project started in the fall of 2023. This video is part of a series of behind-the-scenes looks that will continue each month until construction completes.