Wheels Up!

Southwest Airlines adds new nonstop from Austin to East Coast technology hub

Southwest is adding a new nonstop to Raleigh.

Southwest Airlines

The tech connection between Austin and Raleigh, North Carolina, continues to strengthen. On November 15, Southwest Airlines announced the launch of a brand-new nonstop between the Capital City and the other capital city.

According to a release, Southwest will begin daily nonstop service from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on June 9, 2019. The once-a-day flight will take off from ABIA at 10:05 am, landing in RDA at 2:05 pm. Return flights depart Raleigh at 1:25 pm and arrive in Austin at 3:20 pm.

The AUS-RDA news is just part of a series of new routes from the Dallas-based carrier. Southwest also announced it is launching nonstop service between Houston's Hobby Airport and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic beginning on June 15, 2019. Outside of Texas, Southwest is beginning a massive expansion to its Nashville service, including three new routes and expanded service for an additional eight.

"These new flights are a result of the demand we're seeing from customers as they ask for more options to the places that matter most in their lives," said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines' Executive VP and Chief Revenue Officer, in a release.

Though the new service is still six months away, flights are already on sale, including one-way fares for as low as $79.

Southwest is the third airline to add service from Austin to Raleigh. Both Delta and Frontier currently offer nonstop flights between the two technology hubs.

transportation

Enchanted Expansion

Hill Country landmark Enchanted Rock gets a 630-acre expansion

Photo courtesy of KVUE

This was a lucky purchase after staff spotted a "for sale" sign.

A popular Central Texas hiking and camping destination is getting even bigger.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will add an extra 630 acres of land in Gillespie County. The payment was approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in August during a meeting in Austin, though the exact cost of the transaction is unclear.

"We are so excited that we were able to acquire this property and that we will be able to give the hundreds of thousands of Enchanted Rock patrons new opportunities to recreate in this part of the state," said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. "This addition is the latest win for Texas State Parks as we work towards enhancing some of our existing sites and continuing our gold medal-winning stewardship to the people of Texas."

In a release Tuesday morning, TPWD said it was first made aware of the available land when local park staff alerted the department about a "for sale" sign. TPWD then engaged its official nonprofit partner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to help secure the property from Comanche Rock Acquisitions, LLC.

"This land purchase would not have been possible without the help of our partners and the people of Texas," Franklin said. "By passing Proposition 5 in 2019, TPWD was able to use Sporting Goods Sales Tax funding made available for strategic land acquisitions in conjunction with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to conserve this property for public use."

Enchanted Rock currently sits at roughly 1,644 acres and includes almost 11 miles of trails, with a maximum elevation of 1,825 feet.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

parks nature hill country