Milestones: Aviation in Austin1911 – Calbraith Perry Rodgers lands Vin Fizz at 45th and Red River; aviation activity begins in Austin. 1928 – City Council purchases 340 acres for $60,785 to build airport on site selected by Army Lt. Claire Chennault. Oct. 14, 1930 – Robert Mueller Municipal Airport opens with 1,000-foot long, 100-foot-wide runway; one steel-frame hangar building and a small office terminal—named for Council Member Robert Mueller. 1942 – 1943 — Del Valle Army Air Base is renamed Bergstrom Air Force Base after John August Earl Bergstrom, believed to be the first Travis County soldier killed in World War II. 1956 — City installs Instrument Landing System and high intensity runway lighting system; runway is extended to 7,269 feet. 1958 — Department of Aviation begins oversight of airport operations and maintenance. Dec. 1975 — An airport site selection study chooses Bergstrom Air Force Base as the best site for expansion. Jan. 1985 — First airport referendum: A non-binding referendum to close Robert Mueller. It fails by less than one percent of the vote. Nov. 1987 — Voters approve a referendum to build at Manor and make interim improvements to Robert Mueller. 1989 — State legislature drafts a bill that requires the City to close Mueller by 1997 or sound-insulate an estimated 39 churches and eight other public buildings in high-noise areas. Jan. 29, 1990 — Bergstrom Air Force Base announced as one of the military bases for closure study. June 1991 — Bergstrom appears on the closure list, with the stipulation that the Reserves 924th Fighter Group can stay if a civilian airport is built there. Aug. 1991 — City Council resolves to relocate the airport to Bergstrom. May 1993 — Voters approve, by 63 percent, $400 million in revenue bonds to build Austin's new airport at Bergstrom Air Force Base. Sept. 1993 — Bergstrom Air Force Base officially closes. Oct. 1993 — Base property reverts to City of Austin. Nov. 19, 1994 — Community celebrates groundbreaking for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. June 30, 1997 — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport begins Air Cargo Operations. May 22, 1999 — Robert Mueller Municipal Airport closes to passenger service. May 23, 1999 — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport begins passenger service. December 31, 1999 — Total passenger (in- and out-bound) reached 6, 670,851, a 9.97% increase in 1999 over the pervious year. Air Cargo had a record month, carrying 27,234,093 lbs., up 11% from last year. December 31, 2000 — AUS airlines report 7,658,671 passengers for Year 2000, up 14.81% from previous year. Getting to ABIA | Flight Information | Travel Tips | Parking | Ground Transportation |
