Southwest Airlines is building a new crew base for pilots and flight attendants that will bring 2,000 new jobs to Austin as part of an economic development agreement struck between the company, the city and the state, the company announced at a Friday news conference alongside Gov. Greg Abbott .

The new base, located at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, will open in March and initially hold roughly 1,000 employees, according to a news release by Southwest, one of the state’s largest employers. By mid-2027, the base will expand to reach its expected size of 2,000 employees, who will be paid an average salary of $180,000, according to the news release.

“As we’ve seen Southwest grow, the Texas economy has grown,” Abbott said at the news conference. “Then, when Southwest recently dec

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