Austin-Bergstrom Airport Breaks Ground on Concourse M Reliever Facility

Airport officials and regional leadership gathered at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on 29 September 2026 to break ground on Concourse M, a dedicated six-gate passenger facility. The new concourse serves as an essential reliever terminal under the airport's extensive Journey With AUS capital expansion programme, designed to maintain uninterrupted airline service while core infrastructure across the airfield undergoes comprehensive modernization.

The temporary concourse provides vital operational flexibility for commercial carriers as passenger traffic across Central Texas continues to expand rapidly, outpacing previous long-range capacity projections.

Strategic Reliever Role for Central Texas Growth

Concourse M represents a tactical operational bridge for Austin-Bergstrom. Over the past five years, passenger volumes at the airport have surged to record levels, frequently straining the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal during morning and evening departure banks. To address this sustained demand, airport operators are initiating major construction across the main terminal, including extensive renovations to Concourse A and preliminary site preparation for a future permanent 26-gate Concourse B.

Because these large-scale works will require taking existing gates and aircraft parking positions out of service intermittently, Concourse M will absorb displaced commercial flights. By providing substitute gate capacity on the airfield, the facility prevents flight reductions or schedule curtailments during the multi-year construction campaign.

Facility Specifications and Airfield Configuration

The Concourse M facility encompasses approximately 37,000 square feet of interior space located on the western apron of the airfield. Engineered for rapid deployment and efficient passenger throughput, the concourse will feature six commercial aircraft gates. Four of the positions are equipped with passenger boarding bridges for direct contact boarding, while the remaining two gates are configured for walk-out apron boarding to accommodate regional narrowbody operations.

Despite its interim function, the concourse will offer a complete suite of passenger amenities. Architectural plans incorporate modern holdrooms with integrated power seating, an expansive grab-and-go coffee and food marketplace, dedicated family restrooms, a private nursing suite, and a service animal relief area. The building is engineered to meet regional sustainability standards, utilising high-efficiency HVAC equipment and commercial LED lighting systems.

Passenger Logistics and Transit Connections

To ensure seamless passenger movement without altering security checkpoint procedures, Concourse M will operate as an airside extension of the main terminal complex. Travellers will continue to check luggage, clear Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, and access airline ticketing counters inside the primary Barbara Jordan Terminal.

Following security screening, passengers assigned to flights departing from Concourse M will proceed to Gate 13. A dedicated airside shuttle bus lounge at Gate 13 will board travellers onto electric transit buses, transferring them directly across secure airfield roadways to Concourse M in under five minutes. Arriving passengers will utilise the same shuttle bus loop to return to the central terminal for baggage claim and ground transportation.

Broader Journey With AUS Capital Expansion

The construction of Concourse M is funded through the airport's multi-billion-dollar Journey With AUS capital improvement programme, supported by Federal Aviation Administration grants, airport facility charges, and airport revenue bonds rather than local property tax revenue. The interim facility is scheduled to open for commercial operations by 2028 and will remain operational throughout the construction lifecycle of Concourse B.

Once the permanent Concourse B and its underground passenger tunnel connector reach completion early next decade, Concourse M will conclude its operational lifecycle, allowing the western apron footprint to be repurposed for permanent cargo or aircraft parking facilities.