Local
Austin airport logs record months as 2026 travel stays busy
Austin-Bergstrom set new passenger records in February, March, July and August, while June remains its busiest month ever, with more than 2.1 million travelers. Southwest accounts for 41.7% of passenger traffic so far this year.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has posted new passenger records in four months of 2026, as the airport continues a run of high travel volumes following its third-busiest year on record in 2025.
February, March, July and August each set a new record for their respective months, according to airport passenger figures reported Sept. 30. June remains the busiest month in the airport’s history, with more than 2.1 million passengers. July was the only other month to surpass 2.1 million.
The all-time annual record remains 2023, when more than 22 million passengers traveled through AUS. More than 21.6 million passengers flew in or out of the airport in 2025.
Southwest Airlines carried the largest share of passengers at AUS in 2026, accounting for 41.7% of traffic, slightly above its share in 2025. Delta had 19.1%, American 14% and United 13%. Southwest carried more than 6.1 million passengers through Austin this year; Delta carried more than 2.8 million, American more than 2 million and United more than 1.9 million.
The airport’s busiest day on record remains Oct. 20, 2025, when more than 45,000 passengers were screened by the Transportation Security Administration. The surge followed Formula One weekend. Nine of the 10 busiest days on record have occurred in October, when Austin City Limits, F1 and University of Texas football can add to travel demand.
Airlines have also announced new Austin routes for 2026 and 2027, while five routes have been canceled so far this year. The available figures underscore how busy the airport has become, but do not provide a year-to-date total for 2026.