Austin-Bergstrom Arrivals and Departures Hall

Austin’s airport is trying to catch up to its city. Austin-Bergstrom International has grown faster than almost any major U.S. hub, and its new Arrivals and Departures Hall is the anchor of the Journey With AUS program meant to fix a terminal that long ago outgrew its passenger numbers.

Project Scope

The Austin City Council advanced a construction-services contract of roughly $820 million to Austin Commercial for the hall, alongside a design contract with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The new hall reworks the front of the airport, expanding ticketing, security, and baggage capacity and tying into a broader concourse and apron expansion. The program is phased to keep the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal operating while the new facility takes shape next to it.

Why It Matters

Austin-Bergstrom was built for a mid-size market and now moves crowds that rival far larger airports. The Arrivals and Departures Hall is the piece that decides whether the whole expansion works, because it handles the choke points, curb, check-in, and screening, that passengers actually feel. Building it over a live, growing airport is the hard part. Every phase has to hand off without closing gates or stranding travelers. SOM’s job is to design for a demand curve that keeps bending upward, and Austin Commercial’s is to build it without the disruption that sinks airport projects. Pull it off, and it’s a template for every fast-growing secondary hub facing the same squeeze.

Project Team & Details