Austin Airport Expects Possibly Its Busiest Day Ever on Monday as F1 Fans Head Home
Austin-Bergstrom says Monday, October 26, is expected to be the busiest day of the Grand Prix travel stretch - and could challenge the airport's single-day record of 45,048 departing passengers, set on the Monday after last year's race.
If you are flying out of Austin on Monday, leave early. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport says Monday, October 26, is expected to be the busiest day of the Formula 1 travel stretch - which runs from Thursday, October 22, through Tuesday, October 27 - as race fans head home from the United States Grand Prix, and the day could set a record.
The airport defines a high-volume day as one with more than 35,000 departing passengers, and its advice for Monday is specific: arrive at least 2.5 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one. The first security checkpoints open at 3 a.m., and drivers should book parking ahead at ABIAParking.com or have a backup plan.
The record in reach was set on this same Monday one year ago. On October 20, 2025 - the Monday after the 2025 Grand Prix - 45,048 departing passengers were screened at AUS, the highest single day in the airport's history, according to the airport's own traffic figures. AUS public information specialist Jim Reynolds put the current record at just over 45,000 passengers in comments reported by CBS Austin.
The crush caps a weekend when the airport was already the city's pinch point, with long rideshare waits reported on Friday. Travelers who can move a Monday departure to Tuesday, or to later in the day, should expect a calmer trip, the airport's advisory suggests - the high-volume stretch runs through Tuesday.
