Austin, Texas – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announced an expansion plan that would eliminate the South Terminal and add an entirely new concourse.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) recently announced its new plan as part of the Expansion and Development Program.

The proposal comes as the city struggles to find a way to manage and meet the needs of it's the rapidly growing population.

The project includes the building of a new 10 gate concourse directly in front of the Main Terminal, which would be connected via an underground tunnel.

To make up for the current taxiways at the South Terminal that will be removed, the plan includes building two new taxiways as well.

In a press release on Tuesday, Jacqueline Yaft, the Chief Executive Officer at the Department of Aviation, said the removal of the South Terminal was the best and most cost-cutting way to carry out the new expansion.

"Based on the advice of independent consultants, Aviation has determined that the safest, most operationally efficient, and most cost-effective alignment of the future taxiways will require the closure and removal of the South Terminal within approximately the next two years," Yaft wrote.

The South Terminal, which opened in 2017 and is run by a separate entity, currently houses two budget airlines: Frontier and Allegiant.

In the statement, Yaft noted the Department of Aviation had begun conversations with the company that manages the South Terminal – Lonestar Airport Holdings – as well as the two airlines that use it, to ensure there would be no disruptions to its services.

"All airlines operating from the South Terminal will not experience service interruption and will be accommodated at the Barbara Jordan Terminal," Yaft said.

There is currently no set start date to kick off construction of the new expansion plan.