Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has steadily expanded its international reach in recent years. It has added long-haul service to major European hubs including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Frankfurt Airport (FRA), and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Those routes have helped give the Texas capital a growing intercontinental presence after years of primarily domestic expansion. Now, airport officials are turning their attention to an even bigger milestone: securing Austin’s first nonstop route to Asia. That ambition has gained renewed momentum after reports from Korean media revealed that executives from Korean Air and Delta Air Lines recently met with local representatives in Austin to discuss the possibility of launching a direct flight to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN).
While no official announcement has been made, the potential Seoul route is consistent with Austin’s long-term strategy to expand its international connectivity. Airport leaders have publicly expressed interest in establishing nonstop links to Asia for more than a year. Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) has increasingly emerged as the most likely destination for Austin’s first Asian route. The airport serves as a major global hub and plays a central role in Delta Air Lines’ joint venture partnership with Korean Air. Delta has frequently described Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) as the cornerstone of its Asia strategy. Through the partnership with Korean Air, the two airlines connect more than 2,000 passengers each day between Seoul and onward destinations across Asia.
Delta Air Lines has been expanding rapidly at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) as it builds the city into one of its focus markets. That growth makes Austin a logical addition to Korean Air’s US network (potentially becoming the airline’s 12th American destination). The business ties between Texas and South Korea also support the case for a nonstop route. Samsung, South Korea’s largest corporation, has maintained a long presence in Austin and is currently developing a major semiconductor facility in nearby Taylor (about 25 miles north of the city).
If Austin ultimately secures nonstop service to Seoul, Korean Air appears to be the most likely airline to operate the route. The carrier already has experience flying to Texas with a daily nonstop service between Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Even if Korean Air operates the flight, Delta would still gain from the route through its joint venture with the South Korean airline. The partnership allows both carriers to coordinate schedules and share revenue on transpacific flights. Delta’s growing domestic network from Austin would also feed passengers onto a potential Seoul flight and strengthen the business case for long-haul service.
While Seoul appears to be the most immediate target, it may not be the only long-haul destination on Austin’s wishlist. Among major international markets currently without nonstop service from Austin, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) (another SkyTeam hub) ranks near the top. This could be another addition in Austin.
Anthony’s Take: For now, the possibility of a direct connection between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) represents the most closely watched development as the Texas capital continues its push to become a larger international aviation gateway.
(Featured Image Credit: Delta Air Lines and Korean Air.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Quite the coup for Delta if this happens.
I couldn’t help but laugh at your mention of Austin trying to get an Asian route for over a year. Miami has been trying to get one for decades.