'Arrive Early' | Houston Airports preps travelers for holiday weekend

With more than 60 new flights added to the summer schedule, Houston Airports is ready to welcome 1.3 million Memorial Day holiday travelers.

May 22, 2024
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IAH Memorial Day Traffic Outlook
 
Houston Airports is urging travelers to arrive to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) at least 3 hours before their flight this Memorial Day weekend, even for domestic flights. For context, the national rule of thumb is to arrive 2 hours before domestic flights, 3 hours before international flights. 

This summer, Houston Airports is expecting 'never before seen' passenger totals. May 23 is the start of the summer flight schedule at Bush Airport and more than 60 new flights in/out of IAH are being added to the daily schedule. More flights and new destinations are driving up passenger totals, a positive sign for Houston's economy. 

On May 23, more than 12,000 local passengers are expected to fly out of Bush Airport between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. (This does not include those catching connecting flights). Houston Airports is preparing to mitigate traffic as early as 5 a.m.

Friday, May 24 and Monday, May 27 are forecasted to be even busier than Thursday. That's why it's imperative that holiday travelers arrive to Bush Airport at least 3 hours before their departures. Of the 1.3 million Memorial Day holiday travelers expected at Bush and Hobby airports:
  • More than 1 million will board domestic flights.
  • More than 270,000 will board international flights. 
From Thursday, May 23 to Wednesday, May 29:
  • Bush Airport will welcome 996,000 travelers.
  • Hobby Airport will welcome 313,000 travelers. 

HOW TO PREPARE:
Reserve Parking | More passengers mean less available parking. Travelers should reserve parking online at least 12 hours before arriving to the airport at www.Fly2Houston.com/parking. It's the only way to guarantee a parking spot closest to the airport. 

Arrive Early | Record travelers at Bush Airport may create challenges and may cause delays, especially for those traveling in large groups or with family. Arriving early allows passengers the additional time needed to park or reach the Departures curb, print tickets, check baggage, clear TSA security and reach their gates. 

Peak Hours | Peak holiday travel times are from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. During peak hours, all travelers should especially strive to arrive to the airport at least 3 hours before their flights.
 
OUR PLAN OF ACTION: 
  1. Houston Airports is utilizing overtime for more law enforcement and more airport employees to work the Departures and Arrivals curbs. Remember, curbs are for active loading only! 
  2. Construction that would impact traffic is paused for the holiday.
  3. Airlines are bringing in additional staff for customer service.
  4. TSA will be fully staffed and have additional officers and K9's.
  5. Earlier this month, Houston Airports opened more than 600 new spaces in the IAH C/D/E Parking Garage.
  6. IAH Social Media will share timely details through the weekend.