AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport have jointly received more than $126 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Hobby Airport will invest $66 million into a full concrete runway reconstruction. The construction involves a transition from a combination of concrete and asphalt to a full concrete runway that is expected to last decades.
Bush Airport will also use $62 million to upgrade its inter-terminal train systems, improve airfield drainage infrastructure and modernize its HVAC systems.
According to Jim Szczesniak, the Director of Aviation for the Houston Airport System, the airport will increase the capacity of the trains by around 30%.
This is all part of a larger $1.7 billion total investment for airport projects across 46 states. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the grants in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The FAA said funding these nationwide improvements is critical.
“The FAA is prioritizing improving our nation’s airports and ensuring we issue grants quickly and efficiently,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “This funding does more than just rebuild runways and taxiways, it modernizes the travel experience for American families, ensuring our airports are safe and ready for the future.”
The improvements will support an overall initiative by the Houston Airport System to grow the Houston airports as the city continues to expand.
“The airports are responsible for roughly $40 billion in annual economic impact in Houston,” Szczesniak said. “We employ, collectively, about 200,000 people [in] jobs that are related to the airport. So it’s very important that we continue to grow them because they are tremendous economic engines.”
Szczesniak said the projects will not interfere with the Terminal B reconstruction at Bush or the West Concourse expansion at Hobby.
The Hobby runway project is expected to start in spring 2027 and take two years, and the Bush project is expected to conclude late this year.