Austin airport's $165M West Gate Expansion nearly complete
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is nearing completion of one of its major expansion projects as it works to keep up with the continued growth of Central Texas.
The airport currently has 15 active projects in various stages, representing a combined investment of about $5 billion. One of those projects, the West Gate Expansion, has been under construction for roughly three years and is nearly finished.
The $165 million project adds new gates and amenities to the Barbara Jordan Terminal.
Five new gates are now open
The West Gate Expansion started with a pile of dirt in 2023. By early April 2026, five new gates had opened to the public.
Kimmie Hey with AUS gave KVUE a behind-the-scenes tour of the expanded space Wednesday.
The five new gates replaced two older gates and feature more seating, higher ceilings and more natural light.
"This is a really exciting project because it really brings our Barbara Jordan Terminal up to that large hub airport feel that you get from other airports that you visit," Hey said. "It's really bringing up our standards of what we are giving our customers."
More amenities are expected to open later this year.
Those include larger restrooms with modern technology, a new nursing room and a new pet relief area.
The expansion will also feature the airport's first-ever playscape, located next to a moon tower designed as a nod to Old Austin.
New public patio will offer views of the airport
An upstairs area is also being transformed into a new public patio.
The patio will give travelers a place to enjoy views of planes taking off and landing, along with views of the Austin skyline.
The space is expected to become particularly useful once temperatures cool down.
Nearby, the expansion includes a quiet room where travelers can meditate or relax before a flight. The room includes an electric fireplace and what Hey described as one of the best views in the Barbara Jordan Terminal.
The area will also eventually include an American Airlines lounge.
Expansion prepares AUS for future growth
The West Gate project is part of a larger sequence of construction projects planned for Austin's airport.
Three net-new gates from the project will help offset gates that will be taken out of service during future expansion.
"We have to build this before we can build our Concourse B and tunnel," Hey said. "We have to build the midfield taxiways before we can build the Concourse B and tunnel."
The West Gate Expansion is expected to wrap up by fall.
The airport says no taxpayer dollars are funding the project. Austin-Bergstrom generates its own revenue and also receives federal grants.
