Hobby Airport's $450M Upgrade will Add Gates, Increase Passenger Capacity and Improve Restrooms

Jul. 6—Houston and Southwest Airlines are finalizing a $450 million plan to add seven more gates to Hobby Airport's west concourse to meet growing passenger demand.

The Houston Airport System expects to begin construction in early 2024 and will finance the project with enterprise funds that do not come from taxpayers, according to Jim Szczesniak, chief operating officer for Houston's airports.

Currently, Hobby operates 30 gates and features five commercial airlines, which service 83 destinations.

" Houston is an attractive market with an award-winning airport," Szczesniak said. "Expanding [Hobby's] capacity and air service will benefit Houston's economy, create opportunity for more jobs and continue to support the city as a premier tourist destination."

Southwest will operate six of the seven new gates, with the goal of strengthening Houston's reach across the South-Central region of the United States and Latin America.

The expansion also includes restroom upgrades, improvements to the airport's baggage handling system and "various other enabling projects" to support increased capacity, the airport system said.

Houston Airports said the bulk of concourse construction will take place outside of the active terminal so the impact to passengers in the gate area should be minimal. Changes in the baggage area will be completed in phases.

Based on "excellent facilities for customers" and "high quality airport staff service," Hobby Airport became the first and only five-star Skytrax airport in North America last year. London-based Skytrax is an organization that rates international air transport.

The Houston City Council appropriated $20 million in March so Southwest could start planning the gate expansion project, and the airline's designs still need to be approved, according to the airport system. The expansion project is projected to be completed in 2026.

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