Austin airport smashes passenger record Monday thanks to F1 travel
For the second Monday in a row, Austin's airport has set a new record for the number of passengers in a single day.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the second Monday in a row, Austin's airport has set a new record for the number of passengers in a single day.
A record 43,177 passengers departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Monday, Oct. 24, bolstered by travelers leaving after F1 weekend.
The total smashes the previous record, set just a week ago, by more than 7,800. It's also the first time that more than 40,000 passengers were recorded in a single day.
Five days this month now appear in the top 10 busiest days of all time. Oct. 10 currently ranks 7th, Oct. 23rd ranks 9th, while Oct. 7 ranks 10th — each with more than 34,000 passengers.
"It has been record-breaking busy on a regular basis, and that has been our new normal really since about this spring," said AUS spokesperson Sam Haynes.
"We are really considering ourselves a large airport nowadays, more so than a medium-sized one," Haynes told KXAN Monday morning.
Airport officials are anticipating a record-setting 21 million passengers this year. The current record stands at around 17.3 million passengers, set in 2019.
Airlines have added dozens of new flights so far this year, leading to a jump in passenger totals. Each month from March through August this year features in the top six busiest months of all time. September totals have not yet been released.