Austin airport has retro feel

Austin- Bergstrom International Airport’s new South Terminal is officially open for business, after welcoming its first flight on March 13. The 30,000- squarefoot South Terminal adds three extra gates to the fast- growing airport, which has seen passenger numbers soar amid explosive growth in the Texas capital.

The terminal will be home to budget airline Allegiant, which flies to 10 non- stop destinations from Austin. Other carriers could begin flying from the terminal later this summer.

The South Terminal has a strikingly different feel than the airport’s main Barbara Jordan Terminal. The building housing the new South Terminal dates back to the old Bergstrom Air Force Base, which eventually gave way to today’s passenger airport. It has been updated for its new life as a commercial terminal.

Travelers at the retro- themed building will board their flights not via jet bridges, but rather by going outside and climbing stairs to their planes. Fliers will be able to sit indoors or out while waiting for their flights. There’ll also be a pet relief area and an outdoor food- truck retail area, which the airport says is “the first post- security outdoor concession area of its kind for a major Texas airport.”

Travelers scheduled to fly out of the South Terminal should know it is set apart from the main Barbara Jordan Terminal that handles the majority of the airport’s flights. The South Terminal has a separate road entrance, with access to the Jordan Terminal via shuttle service.

AUSTIN SOUTH TERMINAL Austin airport’s new South Terminal features outdoor seating.