HOUSTON — Record-setting numbers at both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport led to an overall record year for passenger numbers at Houston’s airports in 2018, topping out at more than 58 million passengers for the first time.
“Houston’s top-rated airports are a vital part of the economic engine driving our city’s growth and expanding global profile. They reflect our city’s talent, cultural diversity, and plentiful assets, and build on our image as a world leader,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
The combined total of domestic and international passengers at Bush and Hobby airports finished at a record 58,284,008 in 2018, an increase of 7.6 percent over 2017. That number includes a record 46,520,710 domestic passengers — easily surpassing the previous record of 44,430,857 domestic passengers in 2015 — and 11,763,298 international passengers, topping the previous record of 11,636,494 international passengers in 2016.
“The growing passenger numbers at both of Houston’s commercial airports is a result of great partnerships and testimony to all that our city has to offer both business and leisure travelers,” said Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz. “The shared commitment to great customer service with our air carrier partners, our commitment as a team to providing 5-star rated facilities and services, and the attraction of a city with a growing global profile will only serve to see those numbers continue to rise.”
Hobby Airport set records in overall passengers served — 14,476,469 in 2018, a 7.7 percent increase over 2017 and topping the 14 million mark for the first time — as well as records in domestic passengers with 13,446,771, a 7.1 percent increase over 2017, and international passengers with 1,029,698, a 16.3 percent increase over 2017 and topping the 1 million mark for the first time since the return of international air service in 2015. In fact, Hobby’s 2018 domestic passenger number alone is higher than the record 13,435,672 of combined domestic and international passengers served in 2017.
Bush Airport saw a record 43,807,539 passengers overall in 2018, a 7.6 percent increase over 2017, and that included a record 33,073,939 domestic passengers, an 8.9 percent increase over 2017 and more than the previous high mark of 32,411,513 in 2015. Bush served 10,733,600 international passengers in 2018, a 3.7 percent increase over 2017 and second only to the record 10,835,331 international passengers served in 2016.
More information on the 2018 passenger numbers are available at this link.
Learn more about Houston’s airports and the services available at this link.