Austin Becoming New Airport Battleground

Apparently, the new battleground spot for airlines is Austin, Texas.

The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is adding flights and airlines left and right, including a new nonstop that started today between Austin and Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines.

The inaugural flight was scheduled to take off from Honolulu’s airport at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21.

There will be two direct flights per week on Hawaiian’s new nonstop service. One will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Honolulu, and the second will be on Thursdays and Saturdays from Austin.

Hawaiian Airlines will add a third weekly flight between Friday, May 28, and Sunday, Aug. 13, to meet summer travel demand.

That comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that American Airlines is adding new once-a-week nonstop service from Austin to Nassau, the Bahamas.

The service will start in May.

No other airline at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport flies nonstop to the Bahamas.

Previously, Alaska Airlines added direct flights from Austin to Boise that start in June, and American Airlines has been particularly active – adding once- or twice-daily nonstop service to seven destinations, including Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.

Southwest Airlines recently added seven new nonstop routes from Austin, and Allegiant announced earlier this month it is investing $75 million to set up a hub in Austin that likely will mean more new routes and more flights on existing routes.

Austin-Bergstrom ranks as the third busiest airport in Texas, behind Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. It is ahead of Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby and San Antonio International.