The quiet power of kindness at Houston Airports
Behind every clean gate and calm curb is a person who turns travel into connection.
Oct 15, 2025
At Houston’s airports, kindness travels faster than any flight. It moves through restrooms and roadways, across ticket counters and terminal floors. It’s a kindness rooted in Houston-friendly hospitality, the kind passengers remember long after they leave the terminal.
In September, 25 passengers took time to write in, not to complain, but to say thank you. They thanked the people who helped them feel seen in the middle of a busy travel day.
One traveler wrote about Etta, who maintains the restroom at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) with the efficiency of an air traffic controller and the warmth of an old friend. “Etta was amazing, blessing everyone with a kind word and bright smile,” she said. Another passenger wrote, “Miss Etta always gets us in and out of the restroom with a smile.”
They wrote about Leon at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Leon is part of the Terminal Operations team that keeps curbs clear, traffic steady and patience intact. “Leon went out of his way to help me find my phone,” one note read. “He was so patient with the Uber drivers and helped everyone get where they needed to go.”
And they wrote about Susie, a Customer Service professional at Hobby. “I would like to thank and commend Ms. Susie. She was so helpful and kind, a true professional who represents Houston well.”
Together, these stories form a portrait of something rare in modern travel: genuine connection. To most people, these moments are small. To the people who run Houston Airports, they’re everything. As the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation, Houston Airports employs more than 1,200 city workers who keep one of the nation’s busiest airport systems moving while delivering best-in-class service.
Custodial teams, often called the “frontline,” maintain terminals that rank among the cleanest in North America. Terminal Operations manages the controlled chaos that happens before a passenger even steps through a door. And Customer Service Representatives — those steady voices at the gates and checkpoints — turn confusion into calm.
One traveler said it best: “Tembo didn’t just point me in the right direction; he walked with me.”
That spirit of going farther than required is what defines Houston’s airport culture. “Every compliment we receive is a reflection of who we are,” said Kelly Woodward, chief operating officer of Houston Airports. “It means our people are living our values. They’re choosing kindness, patience and respect even in the busiest moments. Delivering Houston-friendly hospitality is more than a tagline; it’s a promise to treat every traveler like a guest in our city.”
In September alone, passengers submitted 13 compliments for employees at HOU and 12 compliments for employees at IAH. The words that came up again and again were thank, kind, helpful, positive and great. Many of the compliments focused on lost-and-found recoveries, traffic assistance and restroom cleanliness — the quiet details that make the difference between travel and experience. “We always talk about big projects: terminals, infrastructure, billion-dollar investments,” Woodward said. “But what makes those projects matter is the human connection happening inside them. The fact that passengers take time to tell us ‘thank you’ proves that people make the ultimate difference.”
As the summer travel season gave way to fall, those compliments felt like a pause; a reminder that progress isn’t just measured in expansion and efficiency. It’s found in the way people treat one another.
And at Houston Airports, how we make people feel matters.