Four Floors of Terminal Expansion Arriving Early Next Year at AUS

Early next year, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is getting a four-layer cake of a building! Called the West Infill project, construction crews have been hard at work building four floors, expanding the Barbara Jordan Terminal by a sweet 75,000 square feet!

This project, part of the airport’s Journey With AUS expansion program, is located from the western end of the concourse center to the terminal curbside roadway, and includes the baggage claim, apron, concourse, mezzanine and roof levels. 

The baggage claim layer will feature the completion of the new Outbound Baggage Handling System for increased outbound baggage handling screening. Steven Real, P.E., one of the project managers working on the Journey With AUS expansion program, is most excited about this floor in the building. “It will improve the flow of the baggage,” Real shared. “It’s a much faster system.” The new system will increase system reliability, decrease potential flight delays from AUS, and meet the growing outbound passenger demand. The Outbound Baggage Handling system is mechanically complete and currently at its testing stages.

The apron level will feature additional office space for Department of Aviation employees supporting the Journey With AUS expansion program. Within the new office space, there will be a wellness room for new mothers or those seeking brief isolation. “It will also allow for quiet meditation,” said Real.

The concourse level will include three new ticket counters. The additional counters will host airlines currently hosted at The South Terminal, which is scheduled to be removed next year. There will be six new ticketing positions at the three desks, according to Real. The ticketing hall expansion and updated security checkpoint will feature a wood baffled system composed of environmentally responsibly sourced products. “It’s being integrated in the public spaces to soften the space and provide that natural element within the building,” said Real.

Steven Real

The concourse level will also feature new artwork. Three pieces from Voyages were previously installed in the Barbara Jordan Terminal. “We have made space for all six pieces of Voyages to be installed,” shared Real. Austin Downtown Cruiser (Day) will also be reinstalled at Monumental Stairs, a prominent staircase connecting the concourse and mezzanine levels of the West Infill project.

The most prominent feature of the West Infill project’s concourse level is its new security checkpoint, Checkpoint 4. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will host 6 to 8 new lanes for passengers. The current Checkpoint 2 East and Checkpoint 2 West will be renamed Checkpoint 2 and Checkpoint 3.

The mezzanine level will have a new lounge yet to be announced. “It will be completely indoors,” said Real.   

The roof will include a separate HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system that will be specifically for the West Infill. “This is a completely independent HVAC system that feeds this entire building separate from the existing system,” said Real. This will make the air conditioning stronger in both the West Infill project and the rest of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, as both areas won’t have to share the same air conditioning system. “We want the West Infill to be a very comfortable space for the travelers as well as the TSA agents,” said Real, “We have oversized the system to allow for the building to maintain a cooler temperature if necessary for the passenger load in the new checkpoint.”

The West Infill project will be a 3-star Austin Energy Green Building. Additionally, the exterior of the West Infill building will match the 2019 Barbara Jordan Terminal Nine-Gate Expansion project. Gensler is the architect and designer of the West Infill project, and Whiting-Turner is the contracting company.

The West Infill project’s enabling work began in the Fall of 2023. The project is on schedule to be completed in the Spring of 2026. “We are putting up final finishes: drywall and paints and finishes,” Real shared.

Passengers can look forward to the West Infill’s completion and more room to roam in 2026.