Austin's airport had its busiest day ever after F1 weekend. Here is what the council has approved to expand it

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport had the busiest day in its history on Monday, Oct. 26, the day after the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix. The Transportation Security Administration screened 46,963 people, according to figures the airport shared with CBS Austin. The old record, 45,048, was set the Monday after last year's race.

The airport is a city department, run by Austin Aviation, and the City Council approves its major contracts, leases and debt. Record crowds are part of why the city is in the middle of an expansion that KUT has reported will cost more than $5 billion and add 32 gates.

The numbers

According to CBS Austin, the top days at AUS have all followed the Grand Prix:

• Oct. 26, 2026: 46,963
• Oct. 20, 2025: 45,048
• The Monday after the 2024 race: 44,043
• The Monday after the 2023 race: 43,243
• The Monday after the 2022 race: 42,241

On Thursday, Oct. 8, during Austin City Limits weekend, TSA screened 43,055. The Chronicle noted a ground delay at the airport on Friday, Oct. 23, which KVUE tied to race and football traffic.

What our records add

All of these items passed on consent, with no council member voting no.

The debt. On Feb. 26, the council authorized two airport revenue bond sales to partly fund the expansion: up to $350 million in Series 2026A bonds and up to $1.05 billion in Series 2026B bonds, both 11-0. Airport revenue bonds are repaid from airport revenue, such as airline fees, parking and concessions, not from property taxes. In October 2025, the council also authorized up to $250 million in refunding bonds to refinance older airport debt.

The contracts. The expansion has required repeated increases to contract ceilings:

• Jan. 22: $18 million more for HDR Engineering on the campus-wide utility project design, to a $28 million total.
• May 28: $27 million more for WSP USA's program management work, to $67 million, and $10 million more for Arup's building commissioning, to $34 million.
• Oct. 22: a $224 million increase to the utility construction contract, to $344 million. Our story on that vote shows it passed without discussion.

The new space. In March, the council approved a 10-year food and retail concession lease for the West Gate Expansion and Concourse M with Air Star Concessions, projected to bring in $395,000 a year. In July, it approved a lease with Southwest Airlines for building and cargo space.

The race. Our Formula 1 story covers the city's deals with Circuit of the Americas and what the city says the race brings in.

What's next

The airport's capital program comes to the council item by item, usually on the consent agenda. No airport items are on the Nov. 5 draft agenda. Travelers can check the airport's website for parking and travel updates before busy holiday weekends.