The next iteration of Southwest Airlines has laid claim to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport , with the carrier pursuing a lease agreement with the city for up to 18 gates in a planned new concourse.

“This is really important for us, because this is a pivotal moment to be that airport with what I call ‘Southwest 2.0’. The company is going through a lot of changes, and it's really great to have them invest in [Central Texas],” ABIA CEO Ghizlane Badawi said during a chamber event last month detailing the airport's multibillion-dollar expansion .

The big news

On Aug. 28, City Council approved an agreement allowing the Department of Aviation to move forward with negotiations and lease agreements with commercial airlines and cargo carriers for future facilities planned under the

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