Welcome toWilliam P. Hobby Airport

At most airports, passengers hurry past walls of beige and glass, eyes locked on overhead departure screens. In Houston, the experience feels different. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) have been reimagined into cultural spaces where global travelers stumble across art like they might stumble into a museum.Houston’s airports are the new museum.What began with a city ordinance that sets aside a sliver of the airport system’s budget for public art has turned into one of the most ambitious collections in aviation. In 2019, Houston Airports counted roughly 250 works in its collection. Today, the tally tops 400. That kind of growth puts the Houston Airports Civic Art Collection in league with civic institutions. Skytrax has taken notice, naming it the World’s Best Airport Art Program three years in a row—beating out the likes of Singapore Changi and Doha Hamad.In Houston, art is a strategy.“Our world-renowned art program is one of our most powerful tools to stand apart from every other airport in the world,” said Alton DuLaney, chief curator of cultural affairs for the City of Houston. “It transforms our facilities from places you pass through into experiences you remember.”Instead of bland beige corridors and stressful checkpoints, travelers move through bursts of color and sound. Dale Chihuly’s Coastal Fiori glimmers above the TSA lanes in Terminal E.David Adickes’ We Love Houston, Too, greets passengers at Hobby. Murals by Vargas-Suarez Universal and Graciela Hasper splash across walls in IAH’s new Terminal E, filling dead space with motion and light. And then there’s the music. One day a string quartet, the next a Latin guitarist or a country swing band. Harmony in the Air makes the concourse feel less like a waiting room and more like a stage.The program also brings working artists into the terminal. The Artist-in-Residence program has creatives sketching, carving and writing in the terminal, where passengers can watch. Curious travelers may walk away with a memory of a flight and the moment they saw a sculpture take shape.The results are visible and measurable. Travelers are now showing up early, not for faster lines, but to linger. In just seven months of 2025, Harmony in the Air drew more than 130 unsolicited compliments. With more than 60 million passengers expected this year, the exposure rivals the Louvre or MoMA. The difference? At IAH and HOU, the audience isn’t looking for culture. Culture finds them. A cultural collaboration with the Orange Show and its popular annual Art Car Parade has brought ‘art cars’ into the Ticketing Lobby at IAH Terminal A and HOU. Passengers are opening their phones and snapping selfies well before they open their airline app to scan their boarding pass.“Airports are the new art museums, and Houston is leading that movement on a global scale,” said DuLaney. “For many travelers, this may be their first encounter with immersive installations or suspended sculptures. We get to introduce them to the power of art in a place they never expected it.”That power is leverage. As Houston gears up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, every commission doubles as branding. Every performance sends the same message: Houston is not just a stopover city. It’s Space City. Art City.At IAH and HOU, a layover isn’t wasted time. It’s an invitation to sample the energy of one of America’s most diverse cities without ever leaving the terminal. And in a global aviation market where passengers can choose where to spend their hours, Houston has sharpened its edge. Art is the weapon. Loyalty is the prize.RELATED | IAH Harmony in the Air scheduleRELATED | HOU Harmony in the Air schedule

When Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council approved a $2.3 million investment in Ford Lightnings and E-Transit vans on August 20, the move wasn’t about what passengers would see at the curb. It was about what they wouldn’t: the fumes, fuel costs and vulnerabilities. By replacing 35 gas-powered vehicles with all-electric work trucks and vans, Houston Airports is cutting emissions, strengthening resiliency and accelerating toward its goal of carbon-neutral facilities by 2030.In the coming months the keys for the 35 new electric vehicles will be handed over and Houston Airports will have 55 electric vehicles in its fleet—a sharp climb from zero in less than two years. Another 48 are already in the pipeline through a federal grant request. The transition is no longer a test—it’s the plan.Houston Airports has pledged carbon-neutral facilities by 2030. Each new EV helps accelerate that goal. And the economics are compelling. A 2021 EVolve Houston study found that electrifying just over 1,300 city vehicles could save nearly $7 million in fuel and maintenance, while cutting 5,700 metric tons of carbon annually—the equivalent of taking the electricity use of 1,176 homes off the grid.“Fleet electrification isn’t just good for the environment, it’s a smart investment,” said Terrance N. York, division manager of fleet service contracts for Houston Airports. “These vehicles save money over time, and Houston benefits immediately from quieter, cleaner operations. That matters for an airport system serving more than 60 million travelers a year.”Other sustainability upgrades are already visible. LED airfield lighting glows brighter and uses less energy. At IAH, a modernized central utility plant will power terminals with greater efficiency and reliability during Houston’s peak heat. At HOU, a solar panel array harnesses clean, renewable power to offset terminal energy use, reduce reliance on the grid and demonstrate how airports can generate electricity on-site.“We’re not electrifying for appearances—we’re doing it because it makes our system more resilient,” said Scott Hill, deputy director of infrastructure for Houston Airports. “Every EV added, every LED bulb replaced, every system modernized is another step toward a cleaner, more reliable airport. Passengers don’t have to think about power failures or air quality. They simply get a smoother journey.”In just three years, Houston’s airports have moved from no accreditation to Level 3 in Airports Council International’s global carbon program—one of the fastest climbs of any airport system. A large hub, a medium hub and a spaceport achieved Level 3 together, underscoring that sustainability for Houston Airports is not a side project. It’s the strategy.Hurricane Beryl struck in July 2024. Houston Airports discovered a new role for its EV fleet: emergency power grid. Initially purchased for sustainability, Ford Lightnings became mobile generators that powered traffic signals and fueled machinery for emergency repairs. That real-world test transformed the EV fleet from a green statement into an essential resilience tool. For Houston Airports, electric vehicles are reducing emissions and keeping the airport system ready for whatever comes next.

Two Houston Airports facilities — Ellington Airport (EFD) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) — received zero discrepancies during their annual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 inspections earlier this month, reaffirming the airport system’s commitment to the highest standards of safety, efficiency and operational readiness.FAA Part 139 certification inspections are comprehensive, multi-day reviews that evaluate everything from runway conditions and airfield lighting to safety area compliance, wildlife hazard management, emergency response plans and documentation. A zero-discrepancy inspection is a rare achievement that reflects year-round vigilance by airport operations, maintenance teams and partner agencies.Ellington Airport, home to the Houston Spaceport and multiple military, NASA and general aviation operations, has achieved a perfect inspection record for 20 consecutive years.“EFD’s continued record of zero discrepancies reflects the professionalism and dedication of every team member and partner who keeps this airfield safe and mission-ready,” said Arturo Machuca, director of Ellington Airport and the Houston Spaceport. “As we expand our footprint to support both aerospace innovation and military readiness, this milestone underscores that growth will never come at the expense of safety.”Hobby Airport, North America’s first 5-Star Skytrax-rated airport, also maintained a perfect record in 2025.“The FAA 139 inspection is our version of a stress test,” said Michael Powers, assistant director of operations at Hobby Airport. “It’s a chance to prove — not just say — that our airfield meets the highest standards in the country. This year’s clean report reflects the hard work and pride our operations and maintenance teams put in 365 days a year.”