Delta to end Austin to Midland flights in November 2025

Published on Sep 4, 2025, 9:16 am CDT

6 min read

Delta will cease Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, AUS, to Midland International Air and Space Port, MAF, on November 8, 2025, ending a short-lived link between Central Texas and the Permian Basin. The City of Midland confirmed the exit, while Austin officials detailed Delta's upcoming adds that reshape the carrier's schedule at AUS. Travelers will still have a same-plane option on Southwest, and one-stop options through Dallas on American. Here is what to expect and how to rebook efficiently.

Key Points

Why it matters: Fewer nonstop choices for Midland, with knock-on effects for day trips.
Travel impact: Southwest retains the only nonstop, American offers fast one-stop via DFW.
What's next: Delta launches AUS to Denver on November 9, 2025, and builds new 2026 routes.
City of Midland pegs Delta's last AUS-MAF flights to November 8, 2025.
Austin's Delta schedule pivots to Denver and 2026 Midwest adds, with some frequency boosts.

Snapshot

Delta's pullback removes its AUS-MAF operation less than two years after launch. Midland officials say the last day of service is November 8, 2025. The following day, Delta opens Austin to Denver with twice-daily frequencies on Embraer 175 aircraft, then adds Columbus and Kansas City in June 2026, while also increasing San Francisco and Indianapolis. For Permian Basin travelers, Southwest Airlines remains the nonstop link between Midland and Austin. American Airlines continues multiple daily flights between Midland and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, DFW, enabling simple one-stop itineraries to AUS. Net effect, Midland keeps connectivity to Austin, but schedules and fare dynamics may shift as capacity consolidates.

Background

Delta announced AUS-MAF service in late 2023 with inaugural flights planned for April 22, 2024. By August 2025, Midland confirmed Delta would discontinue the route on November 8, 2025, framing the decision as a network adjustment rather than a signal of weakness at MAF. The airport continues to post healthy passenger totals, with Southwest, American, and United anchoring core connectivity to Texas hubs and beyond. In Austin, Delta is simultaneously reshaping its schedule, adding Denver and, in 2026, Columbus and Kansas City, while boosting San Francisco and Indianapolis. That mix underscores Delta's strategy to weight capacity toward broader connectivity from AUS, rather than maintaining a thinner short-haul spoke to Midland. For travelers, the primary takeaway is practical: shift to Southwest for the nonstop, or use American's DFW hub for fast one-stop options.

Practical choices for Austin to Midland flights

Southwest currently operates the only nonstop between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, AUS, and Midland International Air and Space Port, MAF. If you want a one-stop alternative, American Airlines runs frequent Midland to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, DFW, services, with easy onward connections to AUS. For most weekday patterns, total travel time via DFW compares reasonably to a nonstop when schedules align, and the routing preserves through-checked bags and protected connections on a single ticket. If your dates are flexible, compare fares across both paths, watch for Southwest "Wanna Get Away" sales, and consider early and late banks on American to widen options. Business travelers with status or corporate agreements may prefer American's Admirals Club access at DFW, while leisure travelers seeking the simplest day trip should prioritize the Southwest nonstop.

Latest Developments

Delta's exit date and Midland's response

Midland's official notice states Delta will discontinue AUS-MAF on November 8, 2025. The city emphasized that MAF remains on pace for another strong year and that the airport will continue investing in facilities and air service development. For day-of-week planning, assume Delta's Midland schedule will taper into that date, then zero out for winter. If you are ticketed on Delta after November 8, monitor your reservation, wait for the carrier's rebooking outreach, and avoid canceling on your own to preserve refund or reaccommodation options. Southwest will remain the nonstop provider, while American maintains multiple daily MAF-DFW legs that pair cleanly with AUS-DFW to rebuild the trip on a through ticket. Expect some near-term fare pressure as capacity consolidates into Southwest's nonstop and American's hub connection.

Austin's schedule shifts, Denver starts November 9

Austin officials detail Delta's adds and upsizes that begin as Midland ends. AUS-DEN launches November 9, 2025, with twice-daily Embraer 175 service via Delta Connection, aimed at morning and afternoon flows. Looking to 2026, AUS-CMH begins once daily on June 7, and AUS-MCI opens with two daily flights the same day. Delta will also increase AUS-SFO and AUS-IND frequencies, boosting choice for tech and corporate travel patterns. These moves fit a broader Austin build and align with the airport's expansion plans. For context and recent coverage, see our related reporting, Delta Austin expansion adds Denver, CMH, and MCI and Austin airport expansion gets green light, doubles capacity. Net effect, Delta's Austin schedule tilts toward higher-demand spokes, while Midland service consolidates under Southwest and American alternatives.

Analysis

For Permian Basin travelers, the loss of a second carrier on AUS-MAF narrows day-trip flexibility and reduces schedule coverage across the workday, especially around early morning departures and late evening returns. Southwest's nonstop retains the simplest option with no plane change, often the deciding factor for oil and gas itineraries tight on time. Where Southwest's times do not match, American's MAF-DFW-AUS one-stop can approximate total journey time if the DFW connection sits inside a 45 to 70 minute window. In practice, the tradeoff becomes reliability and benefits, checked against your ticketing preferences. Single-carrier tickets protect misconnections, and DFW's scale gives American ample recovery options during irregular operations. Southwest counters with flexible fare rules and no change fees, plus two checked bags included, which matter on equipment-heavy trips.

On the Austin side, Delta's pivot to Denver and 2026 Midwest adds signals a strategy to prioritize broader connectivity and corporate flows over thinner intra-Texas spokes. Twice-daily Denver fills a network gap and feeds Mountain West connections, while San Francisco and Indianapolis frequency bumps improve day-of-week coverage for tech and enterprise customers. For Midland customers booked on Delta beyond November 8, align rebooking to either the Southwest nonstop or an American through-ticket via DFW. If your company policy requires a SkyTeam solution, consider reissuing to Delta's AUS network paired with a separate Southwest or American segment, but account for baggage and irregular operations risk on split tickets. Overall, the market retains utility, but the path shifts toward Southwest for the nonstop and American for the hub connection.

Final Thoughts

Delta's exit compresses competition on a short intra-Texas lane, but Midland keeps a same-plane option, and Austin remains well connected. If your priority is time, book Southwest's nonstop. If your priority is lounge access, status, or protected connections, build a one-stop on American via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, DFW. Watch November schedules closely as Delta opens Denver and other changes ripple through AUS. For now, the smart play is to price both paths and lock in refundable fares during sales windows. Either way, you still have workable choices for Austin to Midland flights.