Austin-Bergstrom Wins Industry Award for Local Outreach
The airport earned the honor for its interactive engagement with concertgoers during the 2026 Blues on the Green series.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Air Travel
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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport earned a top industry honor for its community outreach efforts at the 2026 Blues on the Green concert series in Zilker Park. The award recognizes how the airport engaged local travelers to gather input for a future art installation.
Why it matters
Building transparency with the traveling public is a key goal as the city moves forward with the Journey With AUS expansion program. This recognition highlights a shift toward using local cultural events as venues for public engagement.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport secured the inaugural 2026 Community Education and Outreach - Off Campus Category award, marking its first win in this specific ACI-NA honor. The exact feedback collected for future projects remains under review.
The players
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
The city's primary airport currently undergoing the Journey With AUS expansion program.
Airports Council International - North America
The trade association that represents commercial service airports and presented the industry award.
Malti Lee
The artist who led the interactive public input activity during the airport's outreach event.
The details
The airport partnered with the Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment Art in Public Places Program to reach residents during the Blues on the Green concert series. Staff and artist Malti Lee led interactive public input activities at Zilker Park, where they used educational materials and giveaways to discuss the Journey With AUS expansion. This initiative was specifically designed to foster trust and solicit community ideas for a new airport art installation.
Timeline
October 21, 2026: ACI-NA announced the award winners.
October 28, 2026: Article publication date.
The Texas Context
This effort builds upon the established framework of the city's Art in Public Places Program to integrate civic projects with local culture. The award confirms that the airport's recent strategy to embed its planning process within Austin traditions is gaining industry notice.
Travelers should expect to see continued opportunities to weigh in on airport developments at community gatherings across the city. These outreach activities are part of the broader effort to incorporate local voices into the ongoing Journey With AUS expansion project.
The takeaway
The airport is leaning into local music culture to bridge the gap between facility planning and public perception. Keep an eye on future Journey With AUS announcements for opportunities to share your input on upcoming art installations.
Further reading
You can find more coverage of our local aviation news in the Air Travel section.
More information
You can view the full ACI-NA press release for more details on the judging criteria.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Flyaustin.
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