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On a Tuesday morning in August, Ella Ghica sent a thank-you note to the families of teenagers who had spent their summer helping passengers at Houston’s airports. A few hours later, one parent wrote back.In her note, Ghica described what she witnessed in the terminals. In his reply, Jerrold Sarmiento described what he saw after his daughter came home.Read together, the emails reveal what can happen when communication moves off a screen and into public life.At the center are four words: “May I help you?”“For many of the teens, approaching a passenger who appeared lost or needed assistance was challenging at first,” wrote Ghica, manager of outreach initiatives for the volunteer programs at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. “It takes confidence to walk up to someone and ask, ‘May I help you?’”In 2026, teenagers have not forgotten how to talk. They have simply grown up with time between thought and response. On a phone, tablet or computer, a message can be drafted and revised. Even a sent text can be edited. There is time to shape the response and the image it projects. Face-to-face conversation in an airport terminal offers no such buffer.The need for help does not arrive as a smartphone notification. The teen volunteer has to recognize it and answer without rehearsal.The Houston Airports Teen Volunteer Program, now in its second summer, is open to teenagers whose parents work for Houston Airports. Ghica’s email makes clear that confidence was not a prerequisite. It turned out to be one of the program’s results. “After spending time in the terminals and gaining experience, we watched their confidence grow,” Ghica wrote. “Seeing that transformation was one of the most rewarding parts of the program.”The teenagers were learning customer service, but they were also learning how to enter a moment that did not belong to them. Someone else was lost. Someone else was worried. To help, they had to turn their attention outward and speak first with enough assurance to put a traveler at ease. By the end of the summer, Ghica saw teenagers who had once hesitated become part of the daily rhythm of the airport.“Your teens not only helped our passengers — they became a valued part of our airport family,” she wrote.Sarmiento recognized the change Ghica described because he had been watching it from the other side.A Houston Airports employee whose daughter participated in the program, Sarmiento saw what no airport supervisor could: the stories she carried through the front door.“She came home with so many positive stories about helping passengers,” he wrote.LEARN MORE: Volunteer with Houston AirportsThose stories were evidence of something deeper. His daughter was not merely recounting how she had spent her day. She was describing moments when she approached someone she did not know and became the person who could help.“I could also see how the experience helped her become more confident in communicating with others and stepping outside of her comfort zone,” Sarmiento wrote.His reply adds something an institutional thank-you note cannot: a parent’s knowledge of who a child was before the summer and what had begun to shift.“It was much more than simply volunteering,” he wrote.The program gave his daughter, Sarmiento said, “a greater understanding of what it means to serve others.”Their two perspectives explain why a teen volunteer program matters at a moment when adolescence and air travel are increasingly mediated by technology.A phone can guide a passenger to a gate. It cannot always recognize when someone is too uncertain to ask for help.For the teenagers, the work required a different kind of attention. They had to watch the people in front of them.That is a practical skill learned in public, one passenger at a time.Ghica saw it in the terminals. Sarmiento saw it at home.“We are very grateful to you and everyone at Houston Airports who welcomed, encouraged and guided the teens throughout the summer,” he wrote. “She will carry the lessons and memories from this summer with her for years to come.”Next summer, when a teen volunteer asks, “May I help you?” those four words may help a passenger find their way — and a young person find their voice.

At William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), the handoff takes only a few seconds.One employee reaches into a red cooler. Another, dressed to direct traffic along the curb, accepts a cold bottle of water and heads back toward the vehicles moving behind him.There is no interruption to the work. Just one Houston Airports employee making sure another is ready to step back into the heat.During a Houston summer, that small exchange carries real weight.The work of keeping an airport moving extends far beyond its air-conditioned terminals. Houston Airports employees direct traffic along crowded curbs, inspect runways and taxiways, maintain airfields, respond to incidents and help passengers make their way through unfamiliar surroundings.Some of the work is visible to passengers. Much of it is not. Nearly all of it continues even as temperatures climb.Across HOU, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Ellington Airport (EFD), operations teams cover three shifts every day to maintain 24/7 operations. Each shift brings different assignments and challenges. During the summer, the people doing that work rely on the same basic protections: water, thoughtful planning, appropriate breaks and coworkers who pay attention.At IAH, coolers are stocked across the terminals so employees can get water without stepping away from their responsibilities for long.“During the summer heat, complimentary water and electrolytes are available on every shift, and during periods of extreme heat, employees across our operations can access water and freeze pops,” said Harold Anderson, terminal operations supervisor at IAH. “We have coolers available in every terminal, and employees are encouraged to grab what they need and cool off when they need to.”Inside one supply cabinet, stacks of cups sit beside containers of electrolyte mix. It is a simple setup, but its purpose is clear: Give employees what they need before the heat begins to take a toll.At HOU, John Kempf said the effort reflects a broader commitment to employee well-being, no matter the season.“We want our employees to know that we’re looking out for them year-round,” Kempf said. “When Houston’s weather takes a turn for the cold, we’re there for our teams then, too, with hot beverages available to help keep everyone warm and comfortable.”Water and cooling resources are one part of the strategy. Time is another.Not every outdoor assignment can be moved. Airfield inspections, incident response and other critical duties must happen when they are needed. But when the work allows for flexibility, employees can arrange some assignments around the most intense heat of the day.“Another way to beat the heat is to be proactive in planning our day,” said Ryan Walker, airside division manager at HOU. “Some may elect to do an early morning inspection while it’s cooler rather than wait until the heat of midday.”That does not mean delaying essential work. It means knowing the day’s responsibilities, checking the conditions and making smart decisions about when flexible assignments can be completed safely.On an open airfield, the difference can be significant.There is little shade on the broad stretches of concrete where maintenance employees mow, paint, operate equipment and complete repairs. The sun reflects off the pavement as crews move through work that is physically demanding and essential to airport operations.“Regardless of the shift, maintenance workers are out in the heat on a regular basis,” said Dwayne Pearson, maintenance supervisor at HOU. “Whether it’s the mowers in the morning or the painters on the airfield, it’s challenging to work in the elements. Our crews manage it by taking care of themselves, taking breaks and making sure they have enough water to stay hydrated.”For employees assigned to terminals and curbs, portable cooling equipment and climate-controlled vehicles can offer relief between assignments when operations allow. Employees working outdoors are also encouraged to use appropriate sun protection and ask their managers about available hats or other resources.But equipment and supplies are only effective when employees use them and recognize when someone may need help.Heat illness does not always arrive dramatically. It can begin with a headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, unusual fatigue or heavy sweating. An employee experiencing symptoms should stop working, move to a cooler area and notify a supervisor.Confusion, slurred speech, loss of consciousness or seizures may signal heat stroke, a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately, begin cooling the person and do not leave them alone. Additional information is available through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s heat illness guidance.Before heading outside, employees should fill their water bottles, know where they can cool down and ask their managers for any additional resources they need. They should also pay attention to the person working beside them.At an airport, safety is often associated with major systems, specialized equipment and carefully coordinated operations. But during a Houston summer, it can also look like something much simpler: a cooler lid lifting and a cold bottle of water passing from one employee to another.Take the water. Take the break. Then look out for the next person.

A fully renovated lounge is now welcoming international travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).The Houston Airports IAH Executive Club opened this summer near Gate D12 in Terminal D following a complete interior renovation. Every piece of furniture is new, along with fresh paint, updated décor and redesigned seating areas that give the lounge a modern look and feel.Operated by SSP America, the lounge serves qualifying passengers flying with British Airwawys, Emirates and EVA Airlines. Qualifying passengers will note access to the Executive Club on their boarding pass. Operating hours are coordinated with the flight schedules of airlines using the surrounding gate area. The refreshed layout offers several distinct spaces for travelers. High-back chairs and smaller seating areas provide added privacy, while sofas, lounge chairs and bar-height tables give passengers options for relaxing, dining or catching up on work before boarding.A central food and beverage area includes buffet service, a dedicated bar and seating for individuals and groups. Amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, a meeting room and televisions, along with snacks, beverages and reading materials.Located after security on Level 2 of Terminal D, the lounge is convenient for passengers departing from IAH’s international gates.The renovation supports the airport system's continued focus on modernizing facilities and creating a more comfortable, passenger-focused experience throughout IAH.