Tons of brisket and a million tacos: Here's how the Austin airport measured 2023 traffic
It was a busy year for the Austin airport, no matter what metrics you use.
More than 22 million travelers made their way through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2023, making it the busiest year on record, according to the airport's self-reported data. It's the second year in a row that the airport has broken records for the number of passengers it serves.
Hard to imagine the magnitude of 22 million people? The airport also provided some alternative metrics on its record-breaking traffic in 2023. Here are those numbers:
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How much brisket do 22 million people eat? Tons.
We sometimes measure things in barbecue here in Texas, and the Austin airport did just that.
The people who visited the airport in 2023 ate nearly 100,000 pounds — or 50 tons — of Salt Lick BBQ brisket. In-flight meals just can't compete with Texas barbecue, it seems.
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Airport taco consumption blossomed in 2023
Who tracks tacos? The Austin airport, apparently.
In 2023, more than 1 million tacos were sold at the airport. At one taco per person, we would have estimated that number to be 22 million, but oh, well.
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People bought some weird keepsakes
Austin had some weird visitors, and they weren't afraid to show it.
Just over 8,200 "Keep Austin Weird" shirts were sold at the airport, according to its report.
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What were the Austin airport's busiest airlines in 2023?
A number of airlines serve the Austin airport, but one outperformed the rest.
Southwest Airlines reigned supreme in 2023, serving more than 8.5 million passengers. American Airlines was second with more than 5.2 million passengers, and Delta Air Lines rounded out the top three with about 2.7 million passengers.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin airport breaks records with over 22 million passengers in 2023
