American Airlines to launch nonstop flights to Vail from AUS in December

AUSTIN (KXAN) — American Airlines is continuing its expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, adding a new nonstop route to Vail, Colorado, this winter.

Flights to Eagle County Regional Airport will begin on Dec. 15 and will depart daily through Jan. 9. Service will then be weekly from Jan. 10 through Feb. 15, before becoming daily again Feb. 16 to April 3.

The route will be operated by American's affiliate SkyWest Airlines.

"American is excited to connect Austin with Eagle County this winter," said Philippe Puech, director of short-haul network planning for American Airlines. "Austin continues to grow and we’re proud to support that growth with new routes."

The additional route means the airline will serve 38 destinations direct from Austin this winter. American already offers seasonal service to ski destinations Aspen, Colorado, and Bozeman, Montana.

Vail is the sixth new nonstop route announced by American this year. International service to Cozumel, Mexico, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, began last month.

The airline also launched service to Santa Ana, California, and Bozeman last month, as well as resuming seasonal service to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

American continues to be the second-largest airline operating at AUS in terms of passenger totals. From January to May this year, more than 2.1 million passengers boarded an American flight out of Austin, accounting for about 27% of all passengers.

Only Southwest Airlines has flown more passengers from AUS this year, carrying more than 3 million people between January and May.