FAA Reportedly Denies Austin Airspace Upgrade

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport falls short of some Class B standards but exceeds others.

Zach Vasile

Friday, August 22, 2025 at 03:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Southwest aircraft taxis in Austin. [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has reportedly denied a request to upgrade Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's (KAUS) airspace from Class C to Class B.
Local FAA air traffic managers and supporters advocated for the upgrade, citing growing air traffic, safety concerns, and the potential to alleviate a severe air traffic controller (ATC) shortage through increased pay and authority.
While KAUS falls short of some Class B flight activity requirements, it exceeds others like passenger traffic and is projected for significant growth, with some existing Class B airports having less traffic.
Despite the denial, Austin's critical ATC shortage (less than half recommended staffing) may lead to exploring an expansion of Class C airspace as an alternative, though this would not address pay or full Class B authority.

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The FAA has reportedly turned down a request to upgrade the airspace over Austin, Texas, to the same category as many of the nation’s busiest airports.

According to documents secured by public radio station KUT in Austin through the Freedom of Information Act, the FAA’s air traffic manager in Austin and some regional agency staff support elevating Austin from Class C airspace to Class B, which would trigger tighter regulation and automatically raise pay for air traffic controllers (ATCs) there by 15 percent.