dailynewsnblog
Texas Hill Country isn’t technically Delta Air Lines country. But the state’s capital city sure is starting to look more like it.
Delta on Friday announced it’s adding another route from Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).
Starting this fall, the Atlanta-based carrier will launch nonstop service to San Jose, California.
It’ll be Delta’s second Bay Area nonstop from Austin when the year-round service kicks off in October.
Delta’s Austin growth continues
The route will also be just the latest addition in what’s been a fast run of expansion for Delta at the airport.
I ran the numbers to get a little perspective: Just two years ago, Delta operated just over 14,000 departures from Austin, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. This year, it’s on track to have more than 21,000 flights take off. That’s an increase of around 47%.
Read more: Why does Delta Air Lines have ‘focus cities’? Loyalty
Now, the reality check: That’s still far less than what it flies from its true hub cities like Detroit, Minneapolis or Salt Lake City (to say nothing of its Atlanta mega-hub).
And we have to point out, Delta is solidly the No. 2 airline, still in Austin. Southwest Airlines is the clear market leader.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
But Delta’s offerings at AUS have certainly ballooned over the past couple of years, to include service to major metropolitan areas and smaller destinations alike — such as McAllen, Texas and Fargo, N.D.
Book immediately: Delta One award space to Europe
Delta’s new AUS-SJC route
Up next, though?
San Jose’s Mineta International Airport (SJC), which Delta will fly with one of its 132-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.
Service will begin on Oct. 6.
The AUS-SJC route will connect two major tech hubs, and give Delta a second Bay Area nonstop from Austin; it already operates service to the region’s larger San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Delta will also have competition on the route from — you guessed it — Southwest, which already operates Austin-San Jose flights.
Bolstering Orlando route
Along with the new Austin-San Jose route announced Friday, Delta also revealed it would tack on a third daily roundtrip between the Texas capital and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
“Together, the changes strengthen Delta’s presence in Austin while adding more flexibility for customers traveling across the South, West Coast and key leisure destinations,” the carrier said in a statement.
Where does your loyalty stand?
If you’re an Austin frequent flyer trying to decide which airline to fly, you’re in luck: the top two airlines at the airport occupied two of the top three spots in our recently-published 2026 Best Airlines Report.
Related reading:
