Southwest Airlines will open a new crew base for pilots and flight attendants at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in March 2026.
Initially, 335 pilots and 650 flight attendants will be based at the facility, and by mid-2027, this will be scaled up to more than 2,000 employees.
Most employees at the base will be captains, first officers, and flight attendants, supported by new base leadership and supporting staff.
Southwest is also planning to add a recurring training facility for flight attendants as part of its ongoing business transformation.
The decision to open the new base follows several months of engagement with leaders from the City of Austin and the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office under Governor Greg Abbott.
As part of its agreement with the City of Austin, Southwest will continue to support its partnership with Austin Workforce Solutions by collaborating with the Austin Infrastructure Academy.
It will also expand its existing partnership with Austin Berstrom International Airport on its youth internship programme, and will support the airport's AUS Career Center, which will serve as a connection point for all open positions at Southwest in Austin.
With more than 130 peak-day departures, Southwest is Austin’s largest carrier by network size, serving approximately 6.7 million customers in 2024.
Next March, Southwest will launch new services from Austin to popular leisure destinations including Fort Myers, Florida; Palm Springs, California; and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. These will bring its total of nonstop destinations from Austin to 53.
Southwest will also begin a new daily service between Austin and Cincinnati, Ohio, next June, and has increased seasonal service in markets such as Pensacola, Florida.