Houston Airports Director of Aviation, Jim Szczesniak, A.A.E., joined NHA on November 12th for the Annual Membership Luncheon & Board Installation. With more than two decades of management experience in both the public and private sector, Jim is responsible for the overall management of the Houston Airport System’s three aviation facilities: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD).
The system services over 190 destinations and 60 million passengers yearly as of 2023. They are also responsible for more than 190,000 jobs throughout the region and in 2019 injected at least $36 billion into the local economy. In 2024, the system won the World’s Best Airport Art Program, The Best Regional Airport in North America, Top 10 Best Airport Staff, Top 10 Best Dining Experiences in an Airport & maintained the Skytrax Ratings of 5-star for Hobby (HOU) and 4-star at Intercontinental (IAH). While celebrating their wins, Jim also shared several goals the system still aims to reach in the coming months.
The IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP) is a $1.458 billion investment into renovating the International Central Processor and the expansion of Terminal D including private prayer spaces, modernized gate seating, refreshed bathrooms, new kids play areas and sensory rooms, and a number of new concessions like Einsteins Bagels, the LEGO Store, Velvet Taco and more. Several NHA members are a part of the United Terminal B Reconstruction Project expected to deliver around Fall of 2026. This transformation is a $2.55 billion investment that includes a full-scale reconstruction of new curbside arrival lanes, 40 new gates, 2 new passenger concourses and the largest United Club in the U.S. Hobby Airport will see an investment of $470 million for an expansion of the west concourse in the summer of 2027.
Several airport roadway and capacity projects are underway ahead of the holidays as well. Another lane will be added to the North Terminal Road and the merge point will be removed to reduce congestion and delays, while the ICP Arrivals and Departures curb will be fully open on South Terminal Road to offer significant relief there. In addition to these traffic improvements, the entire system will see updates in on-site parking and their cashless pay system. The Houston Airport System is working hard to continuously improve and advance the passenger travel experience, and our region is lucky to have innovators like those working at the Spaceport that keep us moving forward.
