Sep. 2—Airlines are steadily adding flights from San Antonio International Airport, but its post-pandemic recovery rate remains well behind the national average — and is being eclipsed by increases at Austin Bergstrom International Airport.
That could spell long-term trouble for San Antonio.
"Airlines are adding flights out of Austin at the expense of San Antonio," said Austin Horowitz, aviation consultant with ICF.
In the shorter term, though, the news is good. Flights are resuming to the New York City area and San Francisco, and first-time service to Boston is beginning this fall.
Still, the number of scheduled departures is down 25 percent in September and 24 percent in October from the same pre-pandemic months in 2019, according to information from aviation data provider OAG.
That puts San Antonio's rebound well behind the national average. Airports across the U.S. in September and October will be down just 14 percent from the same months in 2019.
In part, you can blame booming Austin Bergstrom for the San Antonio airport's lagging numbers. The number of flights departing the Austin airport will be up 10 percent this month from September 2019. They're scheduled to be up 14 percent in October.
Airlines don't offer many explanations for such decisions, but consultants say demographic realities such as San Antonio's high poverty rate play a role. Horowitz said airlines see Austin as a faster-growing and more lucrative market — and figure San Antonio residents will make the 70-mile drive if they want more flight choices.
Aviation consultant Henry Harteveldt summed up Austin's position this way: "It's the story of Cinderella at the ball."
Other numbers also make the difference clear. On an average day this month, passengers will have a choice of 89 departures out of San Antonio. At Austin's airport, they'll have their pick of 205.
Still travelers flying out of San Antonio should see more choices in coming months.
San Antonio airport officials announced this week that United Airlines on Wednesday will resume daily service to Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves the New York City area. It plans to increase the service to twice daily by the end of October.
United joins American, which resumed service last month to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
United is also resuming flights to San Francisco six times weekly this month, increasing to daily in October, airport officials said. And it's added one more flight to Denver, making five daily departures to that city.
Another addition: JetBlue Airways is set to begin flying from San Antonio for the first time Oct. 31. It's scheduled to fly daily to JFK and Boston Logan International Airport.
Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, is increasing frequency to El Paso from weekends only to one or two flights a day in September, October and November. Its service to Dallas Love Field will increase from a maximum of six daily departures last month to as many as seven a day in September and eight in October. And in November, it's planning to start weekly service to Colorado Springs.
Southwest had been scheduled to begin weekend service to New Orleans this month, with plans for daily service in November. But those plans are on hold after Hurricane Ida.
However, it's not a total gain for Southwest passengers flying from San Antonio.
A spokesman said the carrier — the airport's largest — flew 38 flights a day in August on Sundays, its peak day, compared to what will be 35 flights on Sundays in September and October.
From Monday through Friday, the airline had 32 flights a day in August. That's scheduled to increase to 33 flights a day in September and October.
September is traditionally the lightest month of the year for airline traffic, so schedule reductions now are common — even without the pandemic.
Southwest said last week it was cutting its systemwide September schedule by 1 percent, or 27 flights a day, and its October schedule through Nov. 5 by 4.5 percent, or 162 flights. The airline attributed the cuts to demand falling as COVID-19 cases rise, and the need to fix operational issues that caused flight cancellations and delays over the summer. Southwest flight attendants and pilots had complained about being overworked because of staffing shortages.
Across the U.S., airlines have even busier schedules planned. Airlines nationally will be back to flying 93 percent of their pre-pandemic schedules in November, according to published schedules. By December they're up to 98 percent.
At San Antonio International, the number is forecast to be 87 percent of 2019 flights in November and 88 percent in December.
Meanwhile, Austin's airport is expected to continue topping 2019 levels, with 27 percent more flights in November and 32 percent more in December.
But consultants cautioned the November and December schedules could be cut if the COVID-19 delta variant causes further declines in demand.
"The real question is how much of this will stick," Horowitz said of scheduled flight additions.
The San Antonio's airport's monthly statistical report released Wednesday showed a July passenger count of 809,204. That was 84 percent of the pre-pandemic July 2019 count.
" San Antonio International Airport's strong growth towards recovery seen during the spring has continued into the summer as travelers continue to return to the skies," said San Antonio Aviation Director Jesus Saenz Jr.
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