January kicked off 2025 with a slight lift in air travel, showing a 0.4% gain in total traffic at over 4.3 million passengers. Though Bush Intercontinental saw gains, increasing 4.3% YOY to 3.69 million passengers, Hobby Airport showed a decline, decreasing 12.4% to approximately 933,000 passengers.

Air Traffic – In the Numbers

Demand for domestic travel decreased slightly, showing a 0.2% loss. Domestic travel showed the most significant YOY losses at Hobby Airport, decreasing 12.5% to approximately 864,000 passengers, while IAH gained 4.6% in domestic travel to 2.69 million passengers. United Airlines saw a 7.1% increase in passenger traffic, increasing their market share on domestic flights through Houston from 55% in December to 58% in January. Conversely, Southwest Airlines has lost 2% market share on domestic flights in January, dropping 19% compared to January 2024, down to almost 812,000 passengers.

International travel reached 1.07 million passengers, up 2.4% compared to January 2024. Bush Intercontinental made up just under 1 million international passengers, a 3.4% gain, while Hobby Airport made up the remaining 70,000, down 10.6% YOY. Travelers from Mexico comprised almost 40% of total international travel in January, with Central and South America accounting for approximately 32% of passengers.

 
See full stats here.

Written by Megan Henson