Southwest Airlines has announced the establishment of a new pilot and flight attendant crew base at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), a move expected to create 2,000 jobs in Austin. The announcement was made earlier this month at a joint news conference with Governor Greg Abbott and Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan.
The majority of new positions will be for captains, first officers, flight attendants, and support staff. The expansion also includes the addition of a station Command Center and a training facility for flight attendants. According to officials, many workers will earn an average salary of $180,000 per year.
Governor Abbott and Bob Jordan were joined by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, City Manager T.C. Broadnax, and AUS CEO Ghizlane Badawi during the announcement. “This investment demonstrates our commitment to Austin and to our customers,” said Southwest Airlines President, Chief Executive Officer, and Vice Chairman of the Board Bob Jordan. “As the largest carrier at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, we appreciate the vision of Governor Abbott and Mayor Watson in clearing the way for Austin to become an even bigger part of our future.”
Mayor Kirk Watson commented on the impact for local residents: “We’re laser focused on making sure people in Austin have good incomes, so they can afford to live and build a life in our city. This performance-based agreement is a win-win-win deal focused on creating good-paying jobs for Austinites, strengthening our local economy, and providing more investment in childcare and workforce development programs.”
The expansion is supported by a $14 million Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant awarded to Southwest Airlines. TEF is designed as a performance-based incentive for businesses considering relocation or expansion projects within Texas that compete with out-of-state locations.
Austin operates as a municipal government entity responsible for legislative and administrative functions through its professional management structure. The city manages a budget of $5.9 billion and employs over 16,000 staff members across various departments (official website). Diversity and inclusion are among its core values supporting organizational goals (official website).
Austin is located in Central Texas along the Colorado River (official website) and serves as the capital of Texas since it was renamed from Waterloo in 1839 (official website).
Further updates about construction timelines and partnership details related to this expansion are expected in the coming months.
