Michael Adkison/Houston Public Media
Travelers wait in line at Houston’s Hobby Airport on March 9, 2026.
NRG Stadium will host the first of its seven total 2026 FIFA World Cup matches on Sunday, and the Houston Airport System is already experiencing the start of an influx of international passengers.
On Monday, the airport system said in a press release that it expects 4.5 million travelers at both the Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports from mid-June to early July.
AAA corporate spokesperson Daniel Armbruster told Houston Public Media that he recommends Houstonians consider the major sporting event’s impact on air travel ahead of time.
“If you’re trying to plan a last-minute trip, that’s going to be really tough,” Armbruster said. “A lot of flights are full and sold out. So, it’s really important if you have a vacation coming up within the next month or two that you go ahead and lock down all of your plans.”
Armbruster suggests that any Houstonians planning on flying in the near future should arrive at the airport two to three hours before boarding the plane, avoid checking any luggage and keep any documentation on their persons at all times.
Armbruster also said to expect increased wait times when reaching security checkpoints.
“It’s so important that you plan ahead, and of course whether or not you’re traveling to a host city or you’re going to be in a host city, it’s very important to just make sure that safety comes first,” Armbruster said.
The airports include options such as TSA PreCheck, Touchless ID, CLEAR and CLEAR+ e-gates for departing travelers looking to reach their gate quicker than the standard screening line.
In a pre-recorded video, Houston Airport System Director Jim Szczesniak said that the airports will not implement any major changes to the security process during the World Cup.
“We’ve been working with CBP and TSA leading up to this to make sure that we can give the traveler the normal kind of experience that we’d expect,” Szczesniak said. “It’s still going to be normal summer busyness, and again, we’re not changing our standards. We want people to get through the lines as quickly as they normally do.”