April was a strong month for air travel through the Houston Airport System, showing a 6.3% gain in total passengers compared to the same month last year, for approximately 5.1 million passengers. Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) represented approximately 3.9 million of these passengers, a 5.2% year-over-year increase. Hobby Airport (HOU) saw even stronger gains in April, with a 10% increase year-over-year, for approximately 1.2 million passengers.  

Year to date, Houston Airport Systems has seen almost 20 million passengers through IAH and Hobby Airports, up 4.6% compared to the same time period last year. Of the 20 million passengers, Bush Intercontinental saw approximately 15 million passengers, up 3.1%, while Hobby Airport logged almost 4.7 million passengers, up 9.8%. International travelers made up approximately 4.1 million of total passenger traffic through both airlines, while domestic passengers made up the remaining 15.5 million, up 3.9%.

Air Traffic – In the Numbers

Domestic travel through both IAH and HOU showed a 7% gain, totaling approximately 4.1 million passengers. Hobby Airport represented 1.2 million of these passengers, for an almost 11% gain, while IAH accounted for 2.9 million, a 5.6% increase. A significant portion of domestic travelers flew United Airlines, making up 52% of the airline market share. Southwest Airlines came in second, holding 29% of the market share, and experienced a 11.4% increase in total passengers compared to last year. Spirit Airlines and American Airlines combined, followed in market share, making up 12%, with the remaining share split between other airlines.

International Travel saw growth in April, as well, with a 3.5% gain in passenger traffic, for approximately 1 million passengers. Bush Intercontinental Airport saw a 3.9% increase in passenger traffic, making up approximately 936,000 passengers, while Hobby Airport made up approximately 82,000 passengers. Of international passengers flying through Houston Airport systems in April, roughly 394,000 came from Mexico, followed by Central and South America with approximately 280,000 passengers. United Airlines continues to account for the largest market share for international passengers, making up 61% of total passengers, up 3.5% year-over-year. The remaining share is made up of other international airlines, with only 8% of market share held by Southwest Airlines.

See full stats here.

Written by Megan Henson