City officials want to land nonstop routes to Paris, Tokyo, Istanbul and other international destinations from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, per a presentation to a city commission this month.

Why it matters: Nabbing international routes elevates Austin as a destination for business and pleasure.

State of play: Currently, Austin travelers can fly nonstop to Cancún, Mexico; Mexico City; London; Panama City; Frankfurt, Germany; Amsterdam; and Montréal.

• In a presentation to the city's airport advisory commission, city officials and their consultant laid out additional priority markets, including Seoul, South Korea; Guadalajara, Mexico; San José, Costa Rica; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Reykjavik, Iceland; Dublin; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The intrigue: Kevin Schorr, vice president of Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, told the commission that airport officials are in contact with multiple cities in East Asia for a nonstop flight.

Yes, but: Big challenges remain, including aircraft availability.

• Plus, flights to Austin from East Asia are naturally longer than to West Coast destinations, meaning more fuel and crew expense, Schorr said.

What they're saying: Another hurdle is Austin's position as a medium-size airport sitting near powerhouse hubs like Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.

• "It comes down to airline economics and risk," Neil Mittal of L.E.K. Consulting tells Axios.
• And the airport itself has to be ready. "You have to build a new terminal," he says. "You might have to have longer runways."

Zoom out: The city-owned airport is in the midst of an expansion that could cost upward of $6.5 billion, with plans to nearly double the number of gates.

Between the lines: International routes aren't just prestige plays — they're more profitable, Mittal says.

• Long-haul flights typically feature higher fares and premium seating, and passengers often spend more at airports.

Stunning stat: The number of international seats on departing flights from Austin more than doubled to 1.4 million since 2019, Schorr said.

• About 2.2 million people traveled nonstop between Austin and overseas in the last year.

The bottom line: "It's our duty to make sure that the airlines understand why Austin is that next best opportunity over any of the other airports," Schorr said.

Read the rest

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) leads state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, according to a survey of 350 registered voters taken before Talarico's viral interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert.

Why it matters: The Democratic race features two rising stars in the party with contrasting styles and messages. The winner will set the tone for the party in a Texas midterm election with nearly every statewide office on the ballot.

Zoom in: Crockett was the choice for 56% of Democrats surveyed while Talarico was favored by 44%, per the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released yesterday.

• Even though Crockett entered the race just before the filing deadline in December, just 18% of respondents said they didn't have an opinion of her.
• By contrast, 34% said they didn't have an opinion about Talarico, who has used his Christian faith as a framework to criticize Republicans.

How it works: The poll was conducted Feb. 2-16.

Flashback: Talarico's Feb. 16 interview with Colbert never aired because Colbert said CBS warned him against it, citing a federal directive.

• But Colbert posted it on YouTube, where it's been seen 8.9 million times.

The intrigue: In a potentially positive sign for Democrats, 46% of respondents said they had an unfavorable opinion of the party, the lowest among 21 Texas Politics Project polls taken over more than 10 years.

What's next: Early voting ends Friday. Election day is Tuesday.

🌈 Crestview residents repainted a rainbow crosswalk after the city removed it. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

⛽ Casey's, an Iowa-based rival to Buc-ee's, is coming to Liberty Hill. (MySA)

🌮 San Diego-based beef birria purveyor Mike's Red Tacos is planning to open a franchise in Austin. (The National Provisioner)

Here's what's on our radar this warm February weekend.

Friday

🎥 Catch the 1984 Japanese flick "Abnormal Family," a comedy in which a new bride introduces modern sensibilities into her husband's traditional household. At AFS Cinema, 9:55pm, $14.

Saturday

🎩 Celebrate whimsy at "Cat in the Hat" story time at BookPeople. 10:30am, free.

🎶 Join a special benefit concert for musician Sterling Finlay, who recently suffered life-threatening injuries. At the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos at 7pm. Tickets run $38.

🍕 Grab 2-for-1 slices of pizza and dance to a DJ at the kick-off of Side Piece Saturdays, 9-11pm at Side Piece Pies inside Victory Lap Rainey. Also, 20% off whole pies if you show a photo of your ex.

Sunday

❄️ Watch a live performance of the pilot episode of the sci-fi podcast "Argon: The Snowdrifter," set in the dangerous future metropolis of New Toska amid an unrelenting ice storm. At 2pm, in Cedar Creek, $11.50.

🇫🇷 Eat and drink free French-inspired offerings (while supplies last) at Central Machine Works while watching the San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks in Paris. Noon at Central Machine Works.

Winters are getting shorter across most U.S. cities — including Austin.

Driving the news: Compared to the 1970-1997 period, winters are now shorter in 80% of the 245 U.S. cities, per an analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.

• Among those 195 cities, winter lasts for nine fewer days on average.

How it works: Climate Central defined "winter" as the coldest 90 days of the year in a row during the 1970-1997 period, then compared the frequency of those temperatures during the 1998-2025 period.

• That temperature-based approach is different from the way seasons are traditionally defined by calendar dates.

Zoom in: In Austin, the number of winter days has dropped 11 days, on average, from 90 (in the 1970-1997 period) to 79 (in the 1998-2025 period).

What's next: Highs are in the upper 80s through the weekend.