Austin’s airport is building a new concourse, and it will be home to Southwest Airlines and United. They’ve just added three new gates on the west end of the main terminal, because they’ll lose three gates to build the tunnel out to this new set of gates.
They’ve also just shut down the ‘South Terminal’ that was basically a doublewide trailer for Allegiant and Frontier Airlines, in order to redirect taxiways. But they’re building a new trailer of sorts with six gates as well.
“Concourse M” won’t be connected to the main terminal at all. It’s a pre-engineered facility – a shed of sorts – that reminds me of Charlotte E or the American Eagle Commuter Terminal at LAX (which predated the ‘Eagle’s Nest’).
This is a remote, bused annex on the west side of the airfield with six narrowbody gates (four contact gates and two walk-out gates). Passengers will be bused from Gate 13.
- They’re meant as overflow gates with bare amenities
- In the long run they’re planning to convert it to a freight facility
The concourse will be 37,537 square feet and promises a 2028 opening. It will be used for irregular operations, diversions, and construction relief. These reliever gates will see use during the new concourse construction and remodeling of the current one in order to prevent loss of gate capacity in the meantime. They can also be used for charter flights as well.
However, I fear that it will wind up being used for regular schedules, too. After all, the terminal was basically full already, three new gates were just added at the west end of the airport but three are being lost, and Allegiant and Frontier are moving into the main terminal with the loss of the South Terminal. I could also see current common use gates turned into preferential use gates, and these becoming common use for ‘non-signatory’ domestic airlines.
This week the Austin City Council will vote for a 10-year food service and retail lease with Air Star to cover the shed. The city required proposals to include all-day offerings; meaningful gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options; contactless ordering and payment and paperless receipts; and compostable packaging and serviceware. There will not be a full kitchen or restaurant.
- News/Coffee/Market, 795 square feet
- Automated Retail, 5 units, 503 square feet
Air Star’s proposed concept is Desnudo Coffee as the anchor plus either an Amazon Just Walk Out store or a centralized high-end vending concept. The coffee shop market is expected to sunset after scheduled Concourse M flights are relocated around October 2030 and the space transitions to other uses.
Oof. Have fun with that Gary… still probably better than MIA D60, amirite, @George Romey?
This is a revolting development. Having a non connected terminal like LAX American Eagle is a recipe for missed flights. The design looks like modern farmhouse barn. Not sure why they would add 6 non-connected gates. If your fear comes true that its not just for the sketch airlines like Allegiant, Frontier, etc, its a total fail
Thanks, Gary. Just flew out of that new Terminal Addition on the West (as I typically fly American), the space feels odd as it’s cavernous (lots of square feet and very high ceilings) but only adds 5 gates. Also, the lower South-East corner of that space (between the American Airlines Gate and the adjacent Alaska Airlines Gate) has Restrooms but they’re closed by construction curtains. It’s a long walk back into the main terminal to use a restroom before the flight. Kudos to the folks trying to improve the airport, but there are going to be a lot of growing pains before this is complete.
American!