Austin's aviation sector is experiencing nuanced shifts, with the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) reporting a modest increase in passenger traffic for November 2025, juxtaposed against a downturn in cargo volumes, according to a City of Austin official report published on January 9th, 2026. November's passenger figures showed a 3.12% year-over-year rise, reaching 1,825,153 travelers. Data indicates a divergence in the fortunes of various carriers, with Southwest Airlines seeing a 2.6% increase in passengers, while American Airlines and United Airlines logged declines of 7.2% and 0.7%, respectively.
In the realm of air cargo, the situation presents a different narrative, November's cargo total at AUS fell by 8.84% compared to the year prior and even more dramatically, air cargo at the international level slumped by 11.87% and while companies such as Air Transport International saw an uptick in volumes, carrying 9,002,118 lbs. which reflects a 3.2% increase, Federal Express moved in the opposite direction, with significant contraction, the report outlines a broader trend toward lesser cargo throughput at Austin's airport, indicating perhaps a shift in how goods are being channeled through regional logistics hubs.
Scrutinizing the January through November period of 2025 provides a wider lens on the airport's trajectory. While the overall passenger count dipped by 0.79% to a total of 19,778,360 travelers, carriers such as Frontier Airlines and British Airways bucked the trend, surging by 158.7% and 24.5% respectively. Frontier's remarkable leap indicates a shift in consumer preference or strategic market capture. However, the likes of American Airlines and Allegiant Air grappled with double-digit percentage decreases, shedding a fuller light on the competitive dynamics at play in Austin's aviation market.
Throughout the same eleven-month window, air cargo volumes maintained the downward trend, falling by 8.34%. A closer look reveals an array of divergent performances among cargo operators, as evidenced by the significant decline of 36.9% for Federal Express, yet a robust increase of 32.6% for Sun Country Airlines cargo, the period also showed a marginal uptick in international air cargo, indicating that while domestic cargo transport may be waning, there's some resilience in the global supply chain operations anchored at AUS.
General Aviation operations and combined operations, including commercial and military, represent another facet of the airport's activity, with the former seeing a decrease of 0.76% and the latter experiencing a slight upturn of 1.42% over January to November 2025. This data underscores the dynamic and fluctuating nature of air traffic operations and their susceptibility to a variety of influences that can sway numbers from month to month and year to year.
