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The Houston Airport System (HAS) handled 62.6 million passengers in the 12 months ending October ’24, up 5.2 percent from 59.5 million handled over the comparable period in ’23. Traffic has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. 

The George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) handled 4.1 million passengers in October ’24, up 3.9 percent from 4.0 million in October ’23. However, the William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) handled 1.2 million passengers, down 2.5 percent from 1.3 million in October ’23.

The reduced capacity of Southwest Airlines, which uses Hobby as one of its major hubs, drove the decrease in passengers from Hobby. Southwest began reducing capacity due to delays in new aircraft deliveries, limiting the size of its air fleet. 

Southwest expects it will return to increasing its capacity in 2025 and has partnered with the Houston Airport System on an expansion to Hobby’s West Concourse, which began construction last month. The expansion will add seven new gates and improved baggage handling systems with an expected completion date in Summer 2027.

HAS handled approximately 50 thousand metric tons of air cargo in October ’24, a 3.4 percent increase from 48 thousand metric tons in October ‘23. Cargo leaving Houston was up 6.4 percent, while cargo arriving in Houston was up 0.9 percent during that time.  

For more details on these and other announcements, visit fly2houston.com.

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research

Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Chief Economist 
Senior Vice President, Research
pjankowski@xyschool.net

Colin Baker
Manager, Economic Research
bakerc@xyschool.net