Austin Gets Its First Nonstop to Paris 🛫 🇫🇷
A.J. Bingham with Ghizlane Badawi, CEO of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, during Delta Air Lines’ announcement of Austin’s first-ever nonstop service to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
August 13, 2026 (Austin, Texas) // Delta Air Lines announced today it will launch Austin's first nonstop service to Paris next spring, delivering a route the city had formally targeted through a published incentive program that offers airlines waived landing fees and marketing support.
Daily seasonal service between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport begins March 27, 2027, and runs through Oct. 24. Delta will fly the route with an Airbus A330-900neo carrying 281 passengers, including 29 lie-flat Delta One suites.
The route is Delta's first transatlantic service from Austin and makes Paris the city's fourth European destination. It is the only one operated by a U.S. carrier.
"This is a significant milestone for AUS and another important step in expanding Central Texas connectivity to the world," said Ghizlane Badawi, chief executive officer of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Austin lists Paris among seven "international priority" destinations under its aviation incentive program, alongside Beijing, Dubai, Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo, according to KUT. Airlines that fly nonstop to a listed destination at least twice weekly qualify for 24 months of waived landing fees and up to $500,000 in marketing support over two years. The marketing amount is reduced for seasonal service.
Airport officials had signaled the effort publicly. Speaking to airport commissioners last month, AUS executive Jamy Kazanoff addressed online rumors about the route.
"I can tell you, commissioners, that we are working on nonstop Paris," Kazanoff said. "We have a very strong business case, but no announcement." The business case rested on existing traffic. Roughly 51,100 passengers traveled between Austin and Paris in 2025 using connecting flights, according to Sabre Market Intelligence data reported by Aviation Week. That made Paris the region's second-largest European market behind London and larger than Amsterdam and Frankfurt, both of which already had nonstop service from Austin.
Austin-Europe capacity reached approximately 352,000 two-way seats in summer 2026, up 9.1% from a year earlier. Economic development officials pointed to established commercial ties between the region and France.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the route would open commercial opportunities beyond tourism.
"This route will not only make travel to Paris and destinations across Europe more convenient for Austinites, but it will also create new opportunities for economic vitality and strengthen connections between local businesses and the French economy," Watson said.
The announcement is part of a broader Delta expansion in Austin. The carrier will add daily service to San Diego beginning April 12, 2027, and will make its Cancun service year-round. By summer 2027, Delta expects to serve about 30 destinations from Austin with more than 70 departures on peak days.
"Launching Austin's first nonstop service to Paris is a defining milestone, but it's just one part of our broader investment in the region," said Joe Esposito, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Delta.
Delta's Scott Santoro told Axios the airline expects demand from business and leisure travelers in both directions.
"It's such a fast-growing city, and we have so much corporate and leisure demand, particularly in the premium cabins too, that Paris just made sense," Santoro said.
Through Delta's partnership with Air France-KLM, the route will offer one-stop connections to nearly 70 destinations across Europe, India and Africa, including Rome, Barcelona and Athens.
The current route is seasonal, though Santoro indicated it could become year-round if demand holds.
"You've got to try it first, see if it works," he said. "We don't want to overcommit to the marketplace if it's not going to work, but I truly believe from a corporate demand, plus premium leisure, plus leisure, it'll be successful."
Tickets went on sale Aug. 15.
Bingham Group represents Delta Air Lines in Central Texas. Our aviation and airport practice serves clients across the airport ecosystem, including concessions, passenger services, cargo and logistics, ground transportation, aviation technology, and infrastructure.
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