Earlier this week Delta Air Lines announced service from Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to three new destinations. What they didn’t say was what route was being cut in order to make space for the new flights.
Delta Abruptly Cancels Austin-Midland Flights
Delta’s route between Austin and Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF) was announced in the first non-hub expansion by the airline. In December 2023, the Atlanta based carrier announced flights from Austin to Midland, McAllen (MFE) and Nashville (BNA).
While the launch of these flights kicked off a massive expansion by Delta in Austin, it was clear at the time that the airline was using the Midland and McAllen flights to squat on gates. I flew the Austin-McAllen route shortly after it launched and attempted to fly the Austin-Midland route as well. Loads were light on both of these flights and I’m not surprised that Midland got the axe.
Both Midland and McAllen were only connected to the Delta network via flights to Austin. McAllen had the benefit of border traffic as well as Tesla/SpaceX employees commuting between Austin and the border city. Midland on the other hand didn’t have the same demand and Delta unceremoniously cut the route this week, with flights scheduled to end in November 2025.
Delta is Growing Rapidly in Austin
Southwest Airlines has long been the top carrier in Austin though other carriers have made a run at building a robust network from the Central Texas airport. American Airlines set up a focus city here during the pandemic but ultimately backed away in September 2024.
Since then, Delta has moved into Austin in a major way. SkyWest opened a crew base in the city last year to support the expanded Delta Connection flights from the airport and, later this year, Delta will open a mainline flight attendant base in the Texas capital.
Delta is clearly looking to build a hub operation in Austin and is scrambling to find space wherever it can.
Austin is Severely Gate Constrained
If you’ve flown through Austin recently you know that the current terminal is severely over capacity. Delta has been growing like crazy here over the last few tears and has been clamoring for gate space.
It is anxiously awaiting the new concourse that is currently under construction though it is still unclear how many gates the airline will get. Southwest is reportedly looking to be the anchor tenant of the new concourse, taking as many as 18 gates. This would leave the current Southwest gates in the main concourse up for grabs. While no decisions have been made, Delta is certainly positioning itself for growth.
Delta has already carried more than one million passengers to and from Austin this year, a 12% increase from 2024. The carrier has previously announced new and expanded service, including domestic flights to Palm Springs (PSP) launching in November, and service to Cancun (CUN) and Cabo San Lucas (SJD) launching in December.
Beginning in 2026, with the demolition of the South Terminal, Frontier and Allegiant will also move into the main terminal. Things will no doubt get worse before they get better as the satellite concourse isn’t expected to open until the early 2030s. Until then, expect things to be extremely tight in the Barbara Jordan Terminal.
My Thoughts
Delta is clearly making a major move in Austin. The carrier has positioned itself as the number two airline in Austin behind Southwest and, with Southwest’s market position more vulnerable than ever, it is attacking the airline on all fronts.
As a Delta frequent flyer, I appreciate the fact that the airline has moved past gate squatting and on to attempting to make Austin a full blown hub operation in the near future.
Summary
As Delta continues to grow in Austin, it is reevaluating its network from the Central Texas airport. With limited gate space, the airline is forced to choose how best to utilize the space which is leading to the cancellation of all flights to Midland.
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