Houston air traffic showed modest growth in July 2024 compared to the same month last year, with total traffic through the Houston Airport Systems hitting 5.7 million, up 1.7%. Bush Intercontinental Airport showed a 1-point increase, seeing approximately 4.37 million passengers, while Hobby Airport showed some gains at 4%, for 1.35 million passengers.

Year to date, Houston continues to see growth, with over 36 million passengers flying through IAH and Hobby combined – up 5.8% year-over-year. In the first seven months of 2024, Hobby showed a 9.5% lift in air traffic to 8.8 million passengers, while IAH showed a 4.7% gain, with over 28 million passengers. Domestic travel through July showed a 5.8% increase to almost 29 million passengers throughboth airports , while international travel grew 5.6% to 7.8 million passengers.

Air Traffic – In the Numbers

Domestic travel increased 2.8% in July, with approximately 4.4 million passengers traveling through both Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airport. IAH made up approximately 3.2 million of the total passengers, up 2.2%, while Hobby saw 1.24 million passengers, up 4.2% year over year.

Domestic travelers through Houston continue to fly mostly United Airlines and Southwest Airlines making up 79% of total market share between the two. In July, United Airlines saw a slight dip in YOY passenger volume, with a 1-point loss.  

International travel saw some decline in July, dropping almost 2% year-over-year to 1.29 million passengers. Though Hobby gained 1.9% to almost 110,000 passengers, Bush Intercontinental Airport saw a 2.2% decline in international air traffic to 1.18 million passengers. Approximately 40% of international travelers in July came from Mexico, while passengers from Central and South America made up just over 26% of international travelers. United Airlines maintains its position as the primary airline for international travelers, making up 61% of the total market share for the month.  

See full stats here.

 Written by Megan Henson