Austin, TX--It's hard to imagine what kind of event can fully shut down an International Airport, but it has happened. Austin Bergstrom International Airport is closed, temporarily. That is to say, there are no incoming or outgoing flights happening until further notice. Approximately for the next hour or so, according to local news reports.
On Twitter, the airport says:
"AUS ALERT: The FAA has temporarily closed the AUS tower for approximately the next hour to undergo disinfection protocols. Travelers should be aware that AUS will be experiencing delays for both arrivals and departures."
Until further information is released, people are left to guess what kind of event can cause an airport an international airport to close. The local buzz is that either someone came down with the coronavirus or there was a bomb threat.
There is no official word for the cause of the shutdown at this time, other than disinfection.
People can check here for flight-related information.
Over an hour later the airport has not reopened and people are growing increasingly more curious as to the cause.
If you are traveling and passing through Austin Bergstrom International Airport, all we really know at this time is that there will be delays. Common airport delays due to equipment malfunctioning or weather-related delays are ordinary and usually called out as such. Travelers understand that, on occasion, these kinds of delays happen. It would take a special circumstance to shut down an entire airport, but this is the case in Austin. What isn't immediately clear is the why behind the action.
UPDATE: The airport reopens, according to KXAN Austin, citing a COVID-19 case as the initial cause of the closure.
This is a developing story.
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