Alaska Airlines to cancel Austin-San Francisco route next year

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Alaska Airlines will end service on its nonstop Austin to San Francisco route sometime next year.

While a service end date has not yet been announced, an airline spokesperson told KXAN the change will coincide with Alaska adding 13 other routes to its network in the spring.

"These adjustments are firmly rooted in the need to be disciplined with our aircraft in 2026, as fewer new aircraft enter our fleet," a statement from the airline said.

"Our strategic growth plan focuses on building scale, relevance and loyalty — essential to success in the airline industry," the statement went on to say.

The AUS-SFO route is also served by Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Delta and Southwest both launched their service in the summer.

San Francisco is the third nonstop route cut by Alaska from Austin over the past couple of years. Flights to Boise, Idaho, ended in February 2024, while service to San Jose, California, ended in March 2024.

Alaska is the fifth-largest airline operating at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, based on passenger totals. Between January and August, the airline flew almost 475,000 passengers in and out of AUS, about 3.3% of all passenger traffic at the airport.

Passenger numbers have declined since a peak in 2022. Last year, about 790,000 passengers flew on an Alaska flight, down from 860,000 the year before and 940,000 in 2022.