Mexico’s ultra-low-cost carrier, Viva Aerobus, announced its arrival to Austin by launching nonstop flights to Monterrey, Mexico. Starting on March 22, 2024, this year-round service will operate four days per week. Viva Aerobus now joins Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as Central Texas’ 22nd airline and eighth international airline.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Viva Aerobus to Austin and Central Texas,” said City of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. “This is an exciting investment that furthers our mission to provide world-class services and experiences for locals and visitors alike, ensuring Austin is a destination that inspires and welcomes the world.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently reinstated Mexico’s aviation safety rating to the highest level and Mexican airlines may now operate under a Category 1 safety rating.

“We are excited to start flying to new cities in the US as part of our major expansion strategy in this country, encouraging passengers to take advantage of our increased connectivity, low fares and modern fleet”, said Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of Viva Aerobus. “This new route not only connects two individual cities but provides Austin and Central Texas passengers with a wide range of connecting flights that link Monterrey to over 30 key destinations to discover Mexico. It also represents more opportunities for Mexican travelers to enjoy the beauty of the capital of the Lone Star State of Texas, serving leisure, VFR, and business markets; thus boosting local tourism and economy,” he added.

Founded in 2006, Viva Aerobus will land in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with options for passengers that go beyond low fares. The carrier gives passengers the ability to customize travel to their needs and budget; the opportunity to fly in the youngest fleet in Mexico and 4th in all of North America, made up of 78 Airbus aircraft; and offers a loyalty and reward program, Doters, which makes flying easier and more beneficial.

Nonstop flights between the two cities are scheduled to take off from Austin at 2:35 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with return flights from Monterrey landing in Austin at 1:25 PM on the same days. The route will be serviced by the airline’s family of Airbus A320 aircraft, which boasts the largest single-aisle cabin in the skies, giving passengers more space, wider seats and larger overhead compartments. 

“Our airport has worked with airlines over the years to connect our valued passengers to new destinations and possibilities and we’ve been eager to launch this one,” said Ghizlane Badawi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AUS. “We are excited to partner with Viva Aerobus to better serve our passengers traveling to Mexico and beyond. We are grateful to our airline partners for their investment in our community.”

As the demand for international travel grows in Central Texas, AUS has launched an improvement project for the International Arrivals facility. The project, which is currently in design, will add more baggage carousels and increase space for passenger processing to improve the experience for arriving international passengers. These upgrades are part of the airport’s plan to deliver near-term improvements to the Barbara Jordan terminal through the Journey With AUS program.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is expanding its network to Austin, Texas. Starting March 28, 2022, KLM will operate a direct service between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

“This week has been full of exciting news for AUS as we welcome nonstop services to Europe,” said Gina Fiandaca, Assistant City Manager of the SD23 Mobility Outcome. “Expanding Austin’s connection to Europe and new international destinations is a long-term goal for our airport and will support Austin’s growth and development as a tech hub and premiere destination. A nonstop service to Amsterdam is a great achievement for Austin.”

Austin is the 19th North American destination to be served by KLM. Austin, the capital of Texas, is known as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ and is considered an epicenter of the tech industry due its the high concentration of startups and tech companies. This route was originally scheduled to start in May 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are excited to expand our service and inaugurate the first scheduled service between Austin and Amsterdam. We look forward to connecting Austin to our global network via Schiphol and providing Europeans direct access to the dynamic city of Austin with its vibrant culture and robust tech industry.” said Eric Caron, SVP and General Manager of North America for Air France-KLM.

Austin is KLM’s second destination in Texas after Houston. Flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring World Business Class flat-beds with direct aisle access, HD entertainment, and on board Wi-Fi.

Passengers flying from Austin can conveniently connect to over 60 destinations across Europe, Africa and India via Amsterdam Schiphol. The award-winning airport is among Europe’s most popular for transfers due to its single terminal design and multitude of shops and services.

“After originally welcoming KLM to Austin in 2019, AUS is excited to finally launch nonstop service to Amsterdam,” said Jaqueline Yaft, Chief Executive Officer of AUS. “Offering direct service to European cities is a huge priority for AUS and this is a milestone we’ve been eager to meet since May of 2020.”

The flight schedule is as follows:

KL0668 departs Austin at 6:00 PM and arrives at Schiphol the next day at 10:25 AM. KL0667 departs Schiphol at 12:40 PM and arrives in Austin at 4:10 PM .

Lufthansa will resume flights to and from Austin, TX to Frankfurt, Germany starting April 8, 2022. With Texas being one of the most important markets in the United States, the resumed flight brings the number of Lufthansa gateways in the Lone Star state to three, with service already existing from Houston and Dallas to Frankfurt.

“Austin is our third gateway in Texas, offering not only a connection between two culture-rich cities, but also an important link for the region’s ever-expanding technology ecosystem and the global technology hubs which Lufthansa serves,” said Don Bunkenburg, Senior Director of Sales for the U.S. – Central, West & Central America, Lufthansa Group. “Central Texas residents can now access Lufthansa’s vast network of destinations in Europe and beyond via Frankfurt. The resumed service also supports the growing interest in Austin for both commerce and leisure, directly benefiting the local economy and spurring further business development on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Lufthansa’s Austin service will employ the Airbus A330-300 in a three-class cabin configuration offering 42 Business Class, 28 Premium Economy and 185 Economy Class seats to accommodate a total of 255 passengers. Flights will occur three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. LH469 will depart Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) at 4 PM and arrive at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) at 9:10 AM the following day. LH468 will leave Frankfurt at 10:05 AM and arrive back in Austin at 2:15 PM. All times are local.

“We look forward to welcoming back Lufthansa to Austin this spring,” said Gina Fiandaca, Assistant City Manager of the SD23 Mobility Outcome. “Connecting business and leisure travelers from Austin to Germany opens the door for more economic opportunities and brings us closer to providing Austinites with as many opportunities as possible to connect to the world.”

With Austin being one of the leading tech hubs in the United States, easy worldwide connectivity is a main priority for customers, especially throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Customers will benefit from the direct link to Lufthansa Group’s Frankfurt hub, as well as a vast, worldwide network, including connections through Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SWISS, as well as code share flights with United Airlines and Air Canada.

“After a two year absence, AUS is incredibly happy to welcome back nonstop service to Frankfurt and our incredible partners at Lufthansa,” said Jacqueline Yaft, Chief Executive Officer for AUS. “The return of this route gives Austin customers a convenient way to travel not only to Germany, but to a variety of destinations across Europe, Asia, and beyond.”

Source: News release