Houston Airports unveils brighter, safer floors at Bush Airport

A simple shift in technique becomes one of the standout innovations celebrated in the 2025 State of the Airports.

Dec 9, 2025

Travelers walking through George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) this year may not know what changed, but they can see it — in the reflection of the overhead lights, in the clean sweep of the concourse and in the unexpected brightness beneath their feet.

What they’re noticing is the result of a quiet transformation. In 2025, Houston Airports completed a large-scale transition to diamond pad floor polishing across Terminal A and portions of Terminals D and E, covering more than 800,000 square feet of high-traffic flooring. What began as a challenge to rethink routine maintenance grew into one of the clearest signs of progress inside the airport.

Diamond pads use an ultra-fine abrasive surface to mechanically polish flooring without chemicals. The pads remove dirt, grime and old floor wax. The process increases shine, improves slip resistance and significantly reduces long-term costs. The custodial team now measures the finish with a gloss meter — a tool that quantifies how much light the floor reflects and helps teams maintain a consistent glow throughout the terminal.

The result is a brighter, more polished environment that passengers notice immediately, even if they can’t pinpoint why.

“This was a challenge I set for our custodial team, and they delivered,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “They found a smarter, greener way to do the work. By switching to diamond pads, we eliminated chemical use, improved safety and created a shine you can see the moment you walk into Terminal A. You can now see the reflection of the lights on our floors.”

For the custodial division, the shift was more than a technical upgrade. It was a moment of ownership — a chance to reimagine a daily task and, in doing so, elevate the entire passenger experience.

Houston Airports is seeing a clear return on this shift. What once required eight hours a night, five nights a week — roughly 260 nights a year — in Terminal A alone has been cut nearly in half. Crews now polish floors only two to three nights a week, about 156 nights a year. The overhead cost has dropped by $150,000 annually.

By eliminating the old wax-and-strip cycle, custodial teams are no longer tied to labor-intensive overnight work and can redirect their time to high-impact projects across the terminals.

The initiative, highlighted during the 2025 State of the Airports on Dec. 5, reflects the airport system’s broader effort to modernize infrastructure in both large and small ways. From major terminal expansions to everyday improvements that shape the look and feel of a place, the organization is investing in a cleaner, more efficient and more welcoming experience for the millions of travelers who move through IAH each year.

“Sometimes the most meaningful upgrades aren’t the ones overhead,” said Szczesniak. “They’re the ones underfoot. And now, at IAH, they shine.”