Welcome toWilliam P. Hobby Airport

For millions of travelers arriving during FIFA World Cup 2026, Houston will begin at the airport.Between June 12 and July 6, Houston Airports expects an estimated 4.5 million passengers to travel through George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), a high-volume summer stretch shaped by the world’s largest sporting events.Some passengers will arrive for matches in Houston. Others will connect through Houston on their way to another host city. Many will experience IAH or HOU as their first glimpse of the region and their final stop before heading home.Houston Airports is preparing for all of them.“Houston Airports is ready to welcome the world,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “Whether passengers are arriving for matches in Houston, connecting to another host city or returning home after an unforgettable visit, our teams are focused on making their airport experience smooth, intuitive and Houston-friendly.”At IAH, Terminal E is fully operational and ready to support international and domestic travel during the summer, one of the busiest periods of the year. The terminal adds capacity, improves passenger flow and strengthens the curb-to-gate experience at one of Houston’s most important global gateways.Passengers will also see new concessions and amenities across IAH, including Landry’s Seafood House at HOU and Simone Biles Taste of Gold at IAH, offering travelers a distinctly Houston experience before they board or after they arrive. New restrooms have also come online, adding comfort and convenience during a high-volume travel period.RELATED | Houston Airports opens restrooms as $30M renovation continuesAt IAH and HOU, passengers will find free in-terminal activations that bring the energy of FIFA World Cup 2026 into the airport experience. The family-friendly activations include “spin the wheel” prize giveaways, photo opportunities, an AI photo booth, video games, foosball and prizes for travelers arriving, departing or connecting through Houston.EXPLORE | IAH welcomes soccer fansEXPLORE | HOU welcomes soccer fansThe work extends beyond new facilities and fan activations. Houston Airports customer service teams are preparing to meet travelers where they are, in the terminal and in their language. Team members speak more than two dozen languages, helping passengers navigate terminals, find transportation, locate concessions and move through the airport with confidence.Houston Airports is also encouraging travelers to use fly2houston.com and the Houston Airports app before arriving at the airport. The website and app include flight information, parking details, terminal information and airport updates designed to help passengers plan ahead during a busy travel period.Houston’s air service network gives travelers another advantage. Houston Airports connects passengers to every FIFA World Cup 2026 host city by nonstop air service, giving fans flexibility as they move between matches, return home or continue their trip through North America.Houston is also a primary gateway to Latin America and the South-Central United States, a role that becomes even more important during a global tournament expected to move fans across cities, countries and continents. New and expanded air service, including ITA Airways’ nonstop route between Rome and Houston, is strengthening Houston’s international reach ahead of the tournament.Transportation will be part of the travel experience. Houston Airports is working with METRO, the Houston Host Committee, airlines and regional partners to help passengers understand how to get from the airport to Downtown Houston, FIFA Fan Fest, NRG Stadium and destinations across the region.Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead by checking flight status, reviewing parking availability and allowing extra time during peak travel periods. Parking reservations are available as little as two hours in advance.“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 is a defining moment for Houston,” Szczesniak said. “At Houston Airports, we understand our role. We are the front door to the city and we are ready to welcome fans, teams, families and travelers from around the world.”

A routine call reminds us that the smallest moments can carry life-or-death consequences.At airports, most moments pass unnoticed for both passengers and airport employees.A bag gets lifted into a wheelchair cart. A confused traveler is pointed toward the right gate. A frustrated passenger takes a breath after someone calmly explains what to do next.Thousands of interactions unfold every day across Houston’s airports. Most are brief. Many are forgotten by the next shift.But one interaction at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) on March 12 stayed with a passenger long after she boarded a plane. From a hospital bed recovering from multiple surgeries, a woman named Lisa reached out to Houston Airports.“I apologize, but I don’t remember my flight information, only the date,” her online message began. “My flight from Houston was Southwest to Jackson, MS. I wanted to not only compliment, but to thank from the bottom of my heart, the staff at the gate where I awaited my flight.”She believed a Houston Airports employee had saved her life.Lisa explained that she had fallen earlier that day while traveling through Nashville and fractured her left humerus from shoulder to elbow. She initially refused medical attention.“I thought it was broken, but then I thought I was just being dramatic, so with airport assistance, I flew on to Houston. While waiting at my gate, the staff recognized that something was terribly wrong and convinced me to go to the hospital.”The Houston Airports employee stayed with the passenger until emergency personnel arrived. “THIS SAVED MY LIFE!” Lisa wrote.Doctors later discovered her injuries were far more serious than she realized. Her arm was shattered and required surgery involving rods and screws. More critically, she was septic and going into kidney failure.“Had your staff not recognized that something was terribly wrong and convinced this hard-headed old woman to accept medical attention, I likely would have died.” Lisa spent nine days hospitalized in Houston recovering from two surgeries before she felt strong enough to contact Houston Airports. “So, if anyone can determine who it was that helped me that day,” she wrote, “I’d love to say thank you for saving my life.”It took Terminal Operations Supervisor Daniel Nedich some time to piece it together.Between customer service calls, he reviewed reports filed by his team documenting requests for passenger assistance and emergency response.Eventually, the details led him to Donnielle Reed.“She kept saying she thinks that her arm is broken,” said Reed, a Terminal Operations agent for Houston Airports. “I said, Well, I’m not a medical professional, so if you can just hang on and we can get the professionals here to help you.”Reed stayed beside the passenger while waiting for paramedics.“I wanted to kind of make her feel as safe as possible,” Reed said. Then, like most days at the airport, she moved on to the next call.What struck Nedich most was that Reed had no idea the interaction carried such enormous consequences.“This is the backside of the story,” he said. “Donnielle had no idea what she did that day, which probably saved her life.”The moment unfolded during Spring Break, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.For Terminal Operations teams at HOU and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), moments like this unfold more often than passengers realize.Employees respond to medical incidents, assist stranded passengers, de-escalate tense situations, monitor suspicious activity and coordinate with first responders. On any given shift, they may help reunite families, calm overwhelmed travelers or respond to emergencies unfolding in real time.But beneath the radios, reports, and constant movement is something less visible: the instinct to recognize when someone needs help, even when they insist they are fine. “This job is unpredictable,” Reed said. “We never know what type of calls we are going to get or how urgent the situation could be.”For Donnielle Reed, that mindset started long before aviation.Before joining Houston Airports, she spent eight years working as a state corrections officer.“Everyone is human, so you have to remember how you treat people,” she said. “Stay firm, fair and consistent.” She believes that experience prepared her for the emotional intensity of airport operations, where stress, exhaustion and uncertainty can quickly shape a passenger’s behavior. An estimated 14 million passengers move through HOU each year. Some are traveling for weddings and vacations. Others are navigating grief, medical emergencies, military deployments or life-changing moments happening far beyond the terminal walls.Airport employees rarely know the full story when walking toward them.“You never know,” Reed said. “People remember how you treat them.”Reed recently celebrated her first year with Houston Airports and is now training for a senior role.When asked how the experience changed her perspective, she paused.“I think I made a great impact on her,” Reed said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.” For Lisa and her family, the impact was immeasurable.“I think just approaching your job with the same sort of care and consistency that she does,” Nedich said. “She approaches everybody the same way. She treats them with respect. And if you do that with people, you will generally receive the same respect in return.” And somewhere inside Hobby Airport, a passenger who thought she could keep going encountered someone who simply refused to keep moving.

For the first time, students from Texas Southern University are serving as Volunteer Ambassadors at Houston Airports, stepping out of the classroom and into one of the most dynamic learning environments in aviation — the airport itself.Spread across terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), the students are helping travelers navigate terminals, answering questions at information counters and offering the kind of hospitality that can shape a passenger’s first impression of Houston.For Ella Ghica, manager of volunteer initiatives for Houston Airports, the pilot partnership is about far more than volunteer hours. “We are preparing our future workforce,” Ghica said. “It’s our future operations managers. It’s our new pilots. You name it.”The partnership, launched last fall as part of a pilot program with students from TSU’s aviation program, integrates service learning into real airport operations. Students volunteer four hours a week, 16 hours a month, for at least six months, gaining exposure to the rhythms and demands of a global airport while still in school.For some, that exposure is already changing career paths.Ghica recalled one student who arrived thinking he wanted to become a cargo pilot, then changed course after spending time with an air traffic controller mentor.“That’s what this experience can do,” she said. “They can actually see the needs of the airport and how they can impact the future of airports.”That hands-on exposure, she said, offers something textbooks alone cannot. Airports, after all, are classrooms of their own.LEARN MORE: Join our volunteer teamStudents in the program have served during the irregular operations, airline transitions and severe weather events, gaining experience during moments that tested operations and customer service. Some have also spent time with Houston Airports leadership, including Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Woodward, getting a broader view of what aviation careers can look like. But perhaps the strongest lessons have come through service.Ghica lit up, recounting a passenger interaction with a confused traveler who needed help navigating the terminals. A student ambassador did not simply point the passenger in the right direction. “He said, ‘I’m going to come with you, ma’am. I’m going to take you there myself,” Ghica recalled.The passenger’s reaction, she said, was priceless.“When people come to the airport and see our employees in our signature orange polo shirts, they may not realize some of those helping them are volunteers,” Ghica said. “People cannot tell the difference between the service they receive from a paid employee or a volunteer,” she said. “It’s first class.”For Houston Airports, the program also deepens a growing relationship with TSU and strengthens a workforce pipeline at a time when aviation faces long-term talent needs.For the students, it offers something equally powerful: belonging. One student showed up to interview for the volunteer role in a suit. “They’re taking this opportunity seriously,” she said.The pilot program is expected to continue through the FIFA World Cup and expand in the fall. She sees growth ahead. But she also sees something bigger.“My wildest dream is for a student to go from an airport volunteer to an airport CEO one day.” And maybe that is the point.Sometimes the path into aviation doesn’t begin in a cockpit or classroom. Sometimes the journey starts by helping a passenger find the right terminal.