Austin security wait remains among the quickest in the U.S.

Turns out, apart from the occasional crush of SXSW, Austin-Bergstrom runs pretty smoothly.

The big picture: Airport officials found themselves unprepared for recent surges of flyers, but TSA lines spilling onto sidewalks are far from the norm, Jacqueline Yaft, the airport's executive director, told members of the city's Airport Advisory Commission this week.

• "Right now, the latest reports are that we're maintaining the (maximum) 30-minute wait time, which is really good," Yaft said.
• Additional TSA officers — sent after multiple events in March led to long waits, fuel shortages and more — are expected to stick around through the summer, and Yaft said the extra help has eased wait times.

Why it matters: The airport is a very visible measuring stick of what Austin gets right — and where it still has growing pains — as the once-sleepy city becomes a major American metropolis.

By the numbers: ABIA has among the shortest average TSA wait times — a little more than 23 minutes — compared to the country's other international airports, per data by Bounce.

Yes, but: The airport is still experiencing an increase in passengers, up nearly 148% in March compared to March 2021.

• The more than 1.8 million passengers set a record for the busiest month ever at the airport.

Next month is expected to be even busier as warm weather returns and additional flights are scheduled out of the city.

• Air Canada's new nonstop service to Vancouver begins on June 1.
• Lufthansa Group has resumed flights from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany.
• Virgin Atlantic's nonstop service to London begins May 25.
• American Airlines is set to begin nonstop flights to Santa Ana, California; Bozeman, Montana, and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Of note: To meet the demand, crews this summer will begin work on three new gates on the west side of the airport's main terminal.