SATX360: Going Global

President’s POV

Now we can officially say: San Antonio is a global city.

Last week, I had the privilege of joining our partners at the City of San Antonio (CoSA), San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and Visit San Antonio to announce that Condor Airlines has committed to establishing a new nonstop route from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to Frankfurt, Germany, starting in May 2024. This represents the first transatlantic nonstop route for San Antonio, with tremendous upside well beyond San Antonio as SAT serves as the largest airport serving the South Texas region. As the largest U.S. city without transatlantic service, this feat was a long time coming, and we are proud of the strides we’ve made in collaboration with CoSA, SAT, and Visit San Antonio. This is only the beginning.

As an economic partnership, we are committed to investing in our people and place to drive greater job growth in our region. When we travel the world telling our San Antonio story to CEOs and site selection consultants, we are often reminded of the need to increase nonstop air service in our region as it will open the door for greater industry investment opportunities. Global organizations need the ability to move people and goods freely and conveniently, and we are working with our partners at the airport to address this challenge.

Together, we surveyed regional travel patterns for corporate partners and prioritized international and domestic markets beyond Frankfurt, like London, Toronto, Queretaro, Raleigh-Durham, and Washington D.C. Not only does San Antonio have the current demand to support nonstop service to these destinations, but our airport is investing in the infrastructure to welcome more carriers to enter our flourishing market. Today, more than 10 million passengers annually travel through our airport, and over the next 20 years, we expect that number to almost double to 18 million.

The new Frankfurt service represents SAT’s 42^nd nonstop destination, and in the last three years, our airport has continued to add service to cities including Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Boston among others. By supporting our airport’s more than $2.5B terminal development plan and a collective effort to recruit new nonstop service, I know this will help our efforts to grow greater.

For the broader region, starting in San Antonio and moving down to south Texas and into Northern Mexico, expanded nonstop service is bigger than tourism, it is opening the door for our team to compete for and win corporate investment in industries like manufacturing, technology, financial services, and life sciences. At the end of the day, our organization is in the business of economic mobility and building pathways to prosperity. With each new nonstop flight, our region is better positioned to attract significant job growth, that in turn, develops greater career opportunities for San Antonians.

I’m bullish on our region’s progress, and even more excited about what is to come.

Regional Updates

Investor Spotlight: VIA Metropolitan Transit

Investor Spotlight: VIA Metropolitan Transit

greater:SATX sat down with VIA Metropolitan Transit CEO Jeff Arndt to find out more about this organization benefitting thousands of San Antonio residents.

Tell us a little bit about VIA Metro and its presence in the San Antonio region. Learn More

Regional Partner Highlight: Converse

The City of Converse has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. Converse continues to be a great landing spot for the influx of people moving to our region as well as the younger generation looking to start a family. Being located on the far Northeast side of Bexar County, Converse has the land available to build not only thriving neighborhoods but commercial opportunities that support our residential growth. Learn More

SATX Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

San Antonio, with its rich cultural history and majority Hispanic and Latino population, has celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month memorably every year. This year is no different. Learn More

In the News

• San Antonio airport lands its first nonstop flight to Europe

  Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, president and CEO of Greater: SATX, cheered the potential economic payoff. “With each new nonstop flight, our region is better positioned to support and attract new corporate growth that, in turn, develops greater career opportunities for the San Antonians here today and those it will attract in the future,” she said. “That’s what gets me so excited, frankly – the opportunity to continue to grow greater jobs for San Antonians and ultimately provide pathways to economic mobility and prosperity.” 

• Spurs add VP of inclusive engagement to front office lineup

  The latest move comes as the NBA team is seeing greater diversity in the makeup of its season ticket holder base. Spurs Sports & Entertainment has named Patricia Mejia as its new vice president of inclusive engagement.

• SA to gain more global clout as home to new research center

  Texas Biomed will be the epicenter for international collaboration in the war against worldwide health threats. San Antonio will be home to a new center dedicated to global research focused on infectious disease.

• USAA to offer no-interest loans to military members if government shuts down

  USAA will offer no-interest loans to customers serving in the military to substitute for their paychecks if the government shuts down.

• Pape Dawson ramps up expansion bid with new Florida firm

  Pape-Dawson Engineers has formed its first out-of-state “strategic partnership” with Poulos & Bennett, a land planning, civil engineering and development services firm based in Orlando.

• Zachry’s Hemisfair hotel project to break ground in November with $48M clean energy loan

  The company – a division of construction firm Zachry Group – has indicated a Nov. 15 start date for what’s tentatively called “Hemisfair Hotel,” according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. As previously reported, plans call for an 18-story, 200-room property that will be part of Hilton’s upscale Curio Collection.

• Zoning Commission approves Weston Urban-owned downtown parcels for housing

  The Zoning Commission this week approved developer Weston Urban’s application to apply the more liberal “D” zoning designation to the properties it owns at 526 and 610 Camaron St., 118, 124, 126 and 204 Kingsbury St. and 615, 639 and 617 N. Flores St. The parcels sit across the street from the Fox Tech High School campus.

• Push for direct flights to and from D.C. tests San Antonio’s clout in Washington

  Nearly every member of San Antonio’s Congressional delegation – a group whose allegiances span the entire political spectrum – is engaged in the effort to add a direct flight from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

• USAA appoints executive for new chief transformation officer role

  Insurance veteran Tom Troy, who boasts a 30-year career in the industry, will join the company on Sept. 25 and “lead USAA’s transformation initiatives and corporate development team,” according to a company statement.