HOUSTON—Houston Airports has reopened Runway 4-22 at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), one of three runways at Houston’s oldest commercial airport.
Runway 4-22 measures 7,602 feet long and 150 feet wide.
It’s one of two commercial service runways at HOU. The third runway is used for general aviation.
It is also the runway at HOU that has the lowest approach minimums, which is crucial as Houston moves into “foggy season”.
Runway 4-22 closed in May 2024 as part of ongoing work to update HOU’s taxiway system to modern design standards.
Removal of the non-standard intersection of Runway 4-22 and Taxiway K1 required the closure of the runway.
The ongoing multi-phase project aims to modernize outdated runway and taxiway intersections, thereby reducing the potential for runway incursions. As HOU nears its 100th birthday, this priority initiative is designed to upgrade Hobby Airport's decades-old infrastructure to meet modern FAA standards, ensuring a safer airfield for aircraft, passengers, and aviation workers.
“This project reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of safety and operational excellence at Houston’s airports,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “The reopening of Runway 4-22, just as the December holiday travel season reaches its peak, is a testament to the teamwork between Houston Airports and the FAA to modernize and enhance the airfield at Houston’s first commercial airport. These improvements ensure Houston’s airports remain healthy economic engines as demand for air travel grows.”
While the average passenger may not notice a difference with Runway 4-22 back open, frequent fliers and aviation enthusiasts may observe changes in takeoff or landing directions as the runway returns to service. As part of the ongoing taxiway reconfiguration project, Houston Airports is also upgrading taxiways and runways with LED lighting to improve energy efficiency and enhance visibility for pilots and ground crews.
The next phase of the project will commence early in 2025. Runway 13R-31L will close to allow construction to progress on necessary taxiway changes connected to that runway.
Since Fiscal Year 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Houston Airports over $40 million in Airport Improvement Program grants to fund the reconstruction of several taxiways and the decommission of Runway 17-35. This is part of FAA’s focused effort to eliminate runway incursion hotspots at airports throughout the nation.