Houston Community News >> Houston IAH Airport Preparing for 2020
7/21/2008 Houston-- In less than 12 years
Houston’s airports will be serving some 80 million passengers a year –
to prepare airport authorities are already making upgrades and changes
Houston Airport System
July 15, 2008
If you have traveled to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) recently you might have noticed various construction signs, lane closures, and speed reductions along the way.
The ongoing construction projects at IAH are part of the Houston Airport System’s (HAS) efforts to maintain the right state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the high volume of passenger traffic through Houston’s airports. Last year, HAS served a record 52 million passengers.
By 2020 that number is expected to reach some 80 million travelers per year.
“We are growing at a very rapid pace and in order to make sure that we continue growing we have to make sure we have the right support structure in place,” says Richard M. Vacar, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System.
“That means we will have ongoing construction for quite some time, and while we generally try to schedule all road closures at night there may be occasions when the required work will need to be done during the day. In any event, we are very concerned about customer service and are doing everything possible to make sure the construction does not affect our operations.”
Ensuring the least amount of negative impact on the airport environment is the task of a special committee formed by airport employees. James Hill, senior project manager for Bush Intercontinental Airport, leads the committee and has overseen the management of its efforts.
The team has made use of the airport system’s website to inform the traveling public about what is taking place at the airport.
“People are already buying tickets online, checking their flight status online and even checking in online, so it seemed like a natural location to make this information available,” he says. “The team decided our website would be the ideal place to update our customers about where we are having construction projects take place”
After each weekly meeting, or as unforeseen circumstances develop, the airport system’s website is updated almost immediately with new information.
Projects currently underway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport include a $1.2 billion renovation of Terminal B, $42 million-plus worth of improvements to the terminal garages, the renovation of Terminal D, and the addition of a second federal inspections services facility, as well as many other short-term and long-term projects.
To avoid traffic and congestion consider arriving at the airport a little earlier. The general rule of thumb is to arrive at least two hours before a flight within the United States and at least three hours before an international flight.
Houston Airport System
July 15, 2008
If you have traveled to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) recently you might have noticed various construction signs, lane closures, and speed reductions along the way.
The ongoing construction projects at IAH are part of the Houston Airport System’s (HAS) efforts to maintain the right state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the high volume of passenger traffic through Houston’s airports. Last year, HAS served a record 52 million passengers.
By 2020 that number is expected to reach some 80 million travelers per year.
“We are growing at a very rapid pace and in order to make sure that we continue growing we have to make sure we have the right support structure in place,” says Richard M. Vacar, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System.
“That means we will have ongoing construction for quite some time, and while we generally try to schedule all road closures at night there may be occasions when the required work will need to be done during the day. In any event, we are very concerned about customer service and are doing everything possible to make sure the construction does not affect our operations.”
Ensuring the least amount of negative impact on the airport environment is the task of a special committee formed by airport employees. James Hill, senior project manager for Bush Intercontinental Airport, leads the committee and has overseen the management of its efforts.
The team has made use of the airport system’s website to inform the traveling public about what is taking place at the airport.
“People are already buying tickets online, checking their flight status online and even checking in online, so it seemed like a natural location to make this information available,” he says. “The team decided our website would be the ideal place to update our customers about where we are having construction projects take place”
After each weekly meeting, or as unforeseen circumstances develop, the airport system’s website is updated almost immediately with new information.
Projects currently underway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport include a $1.2 billion renovation of Terminal B, $42 million-plus worth of improvements to the terminal garages, the renovation of Terminal D, and the addition of a second federal inspections services facility, as well as many other short-term and long-term projects.
To avoid traffic and congestion consider arriving at the airport a little earlier. The general rule of thumb is to arrive at least two hours before a flight within the United States and at least three hours before an international flight.
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