George Bush Intercontinental Airport has improved its passenger experience by opening a new International Arrivals Curb.
The curb opened at 05:00 today, and the airport called it a significant piece of infrastructure.
Since January 2022, passengers have been forced to use a temporary Terminal E pick-up zone as construction was being done on a new terminal.
After nearly three years of a temporary curb, passengers can finally experience something new.
Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation at Houston Airports called the temporary Terminal E curb the bane of the airport’s existence. He added,
“With the opening of the new International Arrivals Curb, we’ve listened to feedback, addressed frustrations and delivered a safer, more streamlined solution. This marks a new chapter in how we serve our passengers, fulfilling our commitment to providing a world-class experience while laying the groundwork for the future of international travel in Houston.”
The airport’s announcement said,
“Bush Airport opened in June 1969 with a handful of international destinations, just as man prepared to land on the moon. Today, 55 years later, Bush Airport is preparing to open its new international terminal, which offers nonstop flights to 195 destinations across five continents. Intuitive Machines is working to not only return man to the moon but also create the technology needed for man to roam the lunar surface.”
The new curb has eight dedicated pick-up lanes, six of which are now open. The remaining two will open in January 2025. On the second level, the airport will open a departures area with 11 lanes.
According to Szczesniak, the new area will open before spring break 2025. Together, there will be 19 new lanes with the new international terminal.
According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, there are nearly 8,000 international flights scheduled from IAH in December.
Twenty airlines operate flights from various countries, but United has the largest market share. Of the nearly 8,000 flights, United has more than 5,800.
Data shows there are nearly 1.4 million international seats available in December. United alone has more than 900,000 seats available. The busiest international route from Houston is to Mexico City.
There are 659 flights scheduled in both directions and nearly 110,000 seats available to the Mexican capital.
Four airlines operate the route, with United having more than double its closest competitor. United’s competitors are Aeromexico, Mexico’s flag carrier, VivaAerobus, and Volaris.
Most of United’s flights are operated by SkyWest and its Embraer E175s, but United mainline also has some flights, and Mesa Airlines operates one daily roundtrip. In total, nearly 58,000 seats are available on the route.
In third place is also a Mexican route, but to an extremely popular tourist destination.
Cancún, located on the Yucatán Peninsula, has 200 roundtrips from Houston in December. The seat offering on this route is greater than 72,000.
United’s only competition on the Cancún route is Spirit Airlines, which only has 14 flights this month. United has more than 370 flights and 66,000+ seats. The Star Alliance carrier has six daily roundtrips.
