While travel slows nationwide, San Antonio doubles down

Writer: Andrea Teran

November 2025 — While the U.S. braces for a decline in international travel in 2025, San Antonio is moving ahead with one of Texas’ largest airport infrastructure projects. At the Invest: Houston Leadership Summit on Nov. 20, Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the City of San Antonio, made the city’s intent clear: it’s not just planning for more flights — it’s preparing for a fundamental shift in its regional and global role.

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“We’re spending $1.6 billion on what we’re doing with a brand-new Terminal C — 18 gates, 850,000 square feet, and 40,000 square feet of brand new concession space,” Saenz said. “We’ve been running. My team probably says, ‘Can you calm down a little bit?’ But I’m a firm believer that when the embers are hot, you cook. And right now, is the time for us to cook in San Antonio.”

The summit, held at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, brought together more than 250 C-suite executives, public sector leaders, and industry stakeholders to explore the city’s infrastructure future. During a panel titled “Building for Tomorrow,” Saenz outlined what is now one of the region’s most ambitious undertakings: a $2.5 billion expansion of San Antonio International Airport — a long-term bet on global connectivity amid a national travel slowdown.

The new terminal is part of a multi-phase, 20-year strategic development plan projected to generate roughly 16,000 jobs and nearly double the airport’s footprint. The expansion also includes 29,000 square feet of passenger lounge space. 

“We’re wrapping up the design pieces … and this year, we’ve moved more than 11 million passengers — the most in the city’s history,” Saenz said during the panel. “We’re turning into a large hub.”

That timing puts San Antonio on a different trajectory than national air travel trends. Cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles are seeing fewer foreign visitors this summer, with industry leaders and analysts warning the downturn may extend well beyond peak season. The World Travel & Tourism Council recently projected that the United States will be the only country among 184 studied where foreign visitor spending will fall this year. While other U.S. airports brace for weaker inbound volumes, SAT is investing for the long term.

“We’ve taken the number of nonstop flights from what it was in 2023 — 33 — to today, 49,” Saenz noted. “And we’re going to start service in May of 2026 into Canada. So we continue to move in those directions.”

“All that new infrastructure is going to need what? Electricity,” said Rudy Garza, CEO of CPS Energy, during the panel, linking infrastructure investment to the city’s broader growth strategy. “We’ve got a lot of planning work to do to make sure we do our part to make that happen, just as we’re trying to do for the great work that Jesus is doing at the airport.”

For Saenz and his team, infrastructure design has gone beyond capacity metrics. The new terminal will feature River Walk-inspired bridge elements and design motifs that reflect San Antonio’s cultural and historical character — a conscious move to create a sense of place. “We went out and obtained 100,000-plus direct feedback [submissions],” Saenz said. “Everyone said they wanted to have a sense of place … You’re going to see pieces of the River Walk on the bridges in the new airport terminal. We’ll take it back to the 1500s.”

At a time when many U.S. markets are deferring capital improvements due to labor and funding constraints, San Antonio’s airport is locking in 15-year commitments with air carriers to build stability and route diversity. “That gives us a very diversified portfolio so that we have all types of carriers and where we’re going — into transatlantic service, into Europe, continuing to grow what we’re doing,” said Saenz.

From a strategic standpoint, the SAT expansion positions San Antonio as a connective anchor between Austin and the rest of the I-35 corridor, especially as the two cities increasingly integrate into a single economic region. “The second that aircraft stops taking off and landing, nothing else really matters after that at an airport … Our goal is to be the most successful airport in the world. That’s what’s in our design standards today as we look out into the future.”

The panel discussion included leaders from CPS Energy, Monterrey Metal Recycling Solutions, and Joeris General Contractors, who underscored that this is not a standalone effort. It’s part of a coordinated regional strategy to reinforce San Antonio’s infrastructure, economic resilience, and role as Texas’ next-generation growth hub.

Want more? Read the Invest: San Antonio report.