Austin, Texas (2026 - Present)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Expansion and Development Program
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- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Expansion and Development Program
Journey With AUS is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s multi-year expansion, development and improvement program. The current portfolio combines near-term terminal improvements with major concourse, parking, airfield, utility and baggage infrastructure projects designed to increase capacity and improve the passenger journey while AUS remains operational.
OCI Role — Program Quality Leadership Owens Consulting and Inspection (OCI) serves in the Quality Director role for the AUS Expansion and Development Program, providing program-level leadership for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the Program Quality Management System.
At the center of this effort is the Program Quality Manual, establishing a consistent quality framework across the entire program. The manual connects governance, standards, roles and responsibilities, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), quality planning, readiness reviews, pre-installation meetings, inspections, documentation, issue management and continuous improvement into one integrated quality ecosystem.
The objective is to shift quality from a reactive process of identifying deficiencies to a proactive culture of planning, readiness and prevention. Quality is integrated earlier into design, preconstruction and construction so expectations are established before work begins, risks are identified sooner and teams have repeatable processes for achieving successful outcomes.
Through this program-wide ecosystem, OCI is working to reduce risk and rework, improve consistency and predictability, strengthen accountability and create greater delivery certainty across a complex portfolio of interconnected airport projects.
Ultimately, the Quality Director’s role is to help ensure that every project contributes to one larger outcome: operational readiness. The goal is not simply to deliver compliant projects, but to create a scalable quality culture and management system that helps AUS confidently transition from design and construction into safe, reliable and ready-for-use airport operations. Some of the projects this program will undertake include:
$65 M
Concourse M
$165 M
West Gate Expansion
$30 M
Atrium Infill
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Atrium Infill
Dollar Value: $30 Million
The Atrium Infill project is creating additional capacity within the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal by filling open space above baggage claim. Approximately 12,000 square feet of new concourse-level floor area will support security screening, bag check and passenger processing while integrating structural, MEP, signage, special systems and fire-life-safety improvements. The project demonstrates how AUS is expanding passenger-processing capacity while continuing to operate within the existing terminal footprint.
West Gate Expansion
Dollar Value: $165 Million
The West Gate Expansion adds approximately 84,500 gross square feet across three levels of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The project includes three new gates, replacement boarding bridges, expanded passenger seating, concessions, restrooms, family and nursing spaces, a quiet room and a new mezzanine. Beyond improving the passenger experience, the additional gates help maintain airport capacity as future expansion work affects existing gates.
Concourse M
Dollar Value: $65 Million
Concourse M is a six-gate midfield facility on the west side of the airfield designed to provide operational flexibility during the larger airport transformation. Four contact gates and two walk-out gates will serve narrow-body aircraft, while shuttle buses connect passengers to the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The approximately 37,537-square-foot facility will help maintain airline operations and passenger capacity while terminal gates are remodeled and the new Concourse B is built.
Concourse B & Tunnel
Dollar Value: $1.103 Billion
Concourse B; Tunnel is one of the defining projects of Journey With AUS. The new 26-gate midfield concourse will expand long-term passenger and aircraft capacity and include passenger and tenant spaces, boarding bridges, baggage systems, apron support areas and associated infrastructure. A new subgrade tunnel will connect Concourse B to the Barbara Jordan Terminal, support passenger conveyance and preserve capacity for a future Automated People Mover and future Concourse C.
Yellow Garage
Dollar Value: $265 Million authorized ($15M design + $250M pre-construction/construction)
The Yellow Garage will add approximately 7,000 parking spaces in a new multi-level facility north of the existing Blue Garage. Intelligent parking systems, revenue controls and roadway realignment are included in the project. Its importance extends beyond parking capacity: completing the garage enables closure and removal of the Red Garage, clearing the way for construction of the New Arrivals & Departures Hall.
Surface Parking — Phases 2 & 3
Dollar Value: $10 Million
Surface Parking Phases 2 and 3 continue the development of additional parking capacity to support long- term passenger growth. When all three phases are complete, the surface parking program will provide approximately 1,400 spaces with revenue controls, lighting, pavement markings, drainage improvements and shuttle shelters. Phase 1 is complete and is excluded from this current-project portfolio; this narrative focuses only on the active design phases.
New Arrivals & Departures Hall
Dollar Value: $865 Million
The New Arrivals & Departures Hall will transform the front door of AUS. Planned for the area currently occupied by the Red Garage and existing curbside lanes, the project will provide expanded ticketing and check-in, a centralized TSA checkpoint, an expanded baggage claim hall, passenger amenities and a redesigned curbside experience. A new pedestrian bridge will improve connections to parking and the Rental Car Facility while the overall project improves passenger and vehicle flow and prepares the terminal for future demand.
New Midfield Taxiways
Dollar Value: $346.7 Million authorized
The New Midfield Taxiways are critical enabling infrastructure for Concourse B and future airfield development. Approximately two miles of new parallel concrete taxiways and connector taxiways will improve east-west aircraft movement and provide access to future concourses. The project also includes taxiway bridges, airfield lighting and signage, utility relocation, drainage improvements, security enhancements, pavement recycling and other supporting infrastructure.
New Central Utility Plant
Dollar Value: $162 Million
The New Central Utility Plant provides the mechanical capacity required to support a growing airport campus. The project includes a new central plant, chilled-water thermal energy storage, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, controls, utility connections and new chilled- and hot-water hydronic piping to the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The plant is intended to provide reliable heating and cooling as existing facilities and future expansion projects increase campus demand.
Utility Infrastructure Campus-Wide
Dollar Value: $130 Million
Utility Infrastructure Campus-Wide provides the backbone that allows individual Journey With AUS projects to function as a coordinated program. The work includes improvements and extensions to electrical distribution, storm drainage, water quality and detention systems, hydronic piping, telecommunications duct banks and other utilities. Rather than serving a single building, this project establishes infrastructure needed to support development across the airport campus.
Integrated Baggage Handling System
Dollar Value: $300 Million
The Integrated Baggage Handling System will connect the New Arrivals & Departures Hall with Concourse B & Tunnel and interface with the airport’s existing outbound baggage system. Approximately five miles of conveyor belts will form a coordinated baggage network supporting expanded terminal and gate capacity. The project illustrates a core principle of the program: successful airport expansion depends not only on new buildings, but on reliable operational systems that connect them.
