Southwest Airlines and Austin city leaders came together on Wednesday morning to inaugurate a new crew base at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a significant achievement for both the airline and the city.
The new facility is anticipated to create over 2,000 jobs for pilots, flight attendants, management, and support staff, with an average salary pegged at approximately $180,000, as outlined by company representatives. This strategic investment reflects Austin’s rapid development as both a city and a key travel destination.
Sam Wilkins, vice president of the Southwest Flight Attendant Union, expressed enthusiasm about the new jobs, emphasizing, “It is bringing high-paying jobs to Austin. All of our flight attendants are covered under the union contract, and we are extremely excited.”
Lynn Lunsford, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, noted that the new base will allow crew members to start and conclude their workdays in Austin, eliminating the need for them to travel to other cities to begin their shifts. “I talked to a few of them today, and they’re ecstatic,” Lunsford shared. “What it means is they don’t have to get on a plane in Austin and then fly to Dallas or Nashville or wherever to start their trips — their trips will now start in Austin.”
Wilkins added, “This is life-changing for them. They are no longer going to have to commute to work or commute home after they’ve flown a trip.”
As the largest airline operating at Austin-Bergstrom, Southwest’s investment is a testament to the city’s growth trajectory as a travel hub. Lunsford remarked, “Southwest has chosen Austin as a place where we want to concentrate a significant amount of our corporate assets.”
For travelers, the establishment of the new crew base means an increase in flight availability, enhanced operational efficiency, and fewer layovers en route to their destinations. “As we continue to grow there, you’re only going to see more opportunities open up to fly to places that previously you’d have to go to, like DFW or someplace and change planes to get to,” Lunsford explained.
Currently, Southwest operates 10 gates at Austin-Bergstrom with plans to expand to around 18 over the coming years. This expansion could potentially double the number of daily flights the airline offers from Austin.
