AUS by the numbers

It’s time once again to take a look at what’s happening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, or AUS as it likes to be called. According to a recent news release, passenger traffic experienced “dramatic declines” last year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Overall in 2020, AUS had 6,472,579 passengers pass through its doors – that’s down 62.7% from the 17,343,729 passengers the airport saw in its highest-ever passenger travel year, 2019. These are the lowest passenger numbers for AUS since the airport opened in 1999.” In contrast, cargo numbers have grown significantly, “increasing by more than 20% over 2019, reflecting the role of AUS in the Austin region’s recovering economy. A major contributor to this growth was the start of new cargo operations by Amazon Air early in the year.” To wind things up, airport officials say they’re seeing an increase in passenger traffic, which they attribute to “the airport’s robust health and safety measures and a growth in passenger confidence that we’re optimistic will continue throughout 2021.”