The Houston Airport System expects roughly 2.3 million travelers to move through its two passenger airports during spring break.

George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby airports are forecasting record traffic during the 12-day period between March 7 and 18. The 2.3 million estimate would be an 8% increase over 2023. Breaking down the numbers, Hobby is slated to welcome nearly 540,000 passengers while IAH is expecting 1.8 million passengers.

The busiest travel days are expected to be this Friday, March 8,followed by Sunday, March 10, and Monday, March 11. Airport officials are urging travelers to arrive early and pack patience given the crowds that are expected at each airport.

While next week is anticipated to be busy locally, due in large part to Houston-area school district’s scheduled spring break, the season runs into April, thanks to schools and universities nationwide breaking at different times.

Houston’s largest carrier, United Airlines, says it expects more than 21 million passengers to fly the airline between March 8 and April 21—a nearly 10% increase in passenger volume over spring break 2023. United said the company’s busiest overall travel day will be March 25.

Just over 60 million people traveled through George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports last year, up 6 million passengers or 11% from 2022. The 2023 figure is also nearly 400,000 more passengers than the Houston Airport System handled in 2019, its previous record year. The airports also started this year strong, with traffic up 2.3% in January compared to January 2023. 

Written by A.J. Mistretta