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Four robots are helping custodians keep floors clean at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), taking on repetitive work so employees can focus on restrooms, high-touch surfaces and immediate passenger needs.The deployment makes IAH the first Texas airport to use TASKI robotic cleaning technology and the first U.S. airport to deploy the company’s combination of autonomous sweepers and scrubbers. Houston Airports placed the four machines into operational use the week of Aug. 10.“Maintaining 2.1 million square feet is a round-the-clock responsibility, and innovation helps us use every resource wisely,” said Cliff Price, general manager of IAH for Houston Airports. “These robots are not replacing our custodians. They are handling repetitive floor care so our employees can devote more time to work that requires human attention and immediate passenger needs.”Each machine has an assignment suited to its size and capabilities:- One TASKI Phantas works in the security queue inside the Terminal E Ticketing Lobby. Designed for tighter spaces, the compact robot sweeps, vacuums, scrubs and dust-mops, with manufacturer-rated coverage of up to 7,535 square feet per hour.- One Ecobot 50 works on the Terminal E mezzanine level. It can scrub and dry up to 19,375 square feet per hour and can use diamond pads to clean and enhance the shine of the terrazzo flooring.- Two Ecobot 40 sweepers work in the Terminal D-West concourse. Each can sweep and vacuum up to 12,916 square feet of carpet or hard flooring per hour.Those figures reflect manufacturer-rated productivity. Actual coverage varies with passenger traffic, floor type, cleaning mode and terminal conditions.The machines work independently, but not without human oversight. Employees map and assign cleaning routes. The robots then use laser-based navigation, cameras and sensors to detect passengers, luggage and other obstacles and adjust their paths. Custodians oversee routing, performance and maintenance.That division of labor leaves people responsible for the work that requires judgment and direct attention. Custodians clean restrooms multiple times daily and disinfect high-touch surfaces, including handrails, seating and tables, throughout the day. Service increases with passenger traffic.Passengers also help identify where attention is needed. Digital feedback screens inside airport restrooms allow travelers to select a happy or sad face and submit comments. Negative ratings automatically trigger a prioritized custodial response.The robots add to an established cleaning operation. During FIFA World Cup 2026, before the TASKI deployment, restrooms maintained by Houston Airports recorded about 1 million visits and earned a 94% positive passenger rating.Houston Airports plans to expand the robotic fleet at IAH. Additional floor cleaning robots are budgeted for Terminals A, D and E and the airport Subway tunnel.

Travelers who want to charge an electric vehicle while flying from Houston's airports should plan to park at ecopark. Choosing the right lot before leaving home helps drivers head straight to the charging location.Where to plug inAt IAH, travelers can find EV charging at:- ecopark on John F. Kennedy Boulevard- ecopark2 on Will Clayton Parkway. A parking reservation is required for entry.At HOU, EV charging is available at the airport’s ecopark lot.Before traveling, visit the airport’s parking page for lot details, directions and reservations.Electric vehicles behind the scenesThe commitment to electric vehicles extends beyond passenger parking.Houston Airports has 57 electric vehicles in its fleet — nearly 60 trucks and vans supporting the work that keeps its airports running. In May, the system added 32 electric vehicles to replace gas-powered vehicles across IAH, HOU and Ellington Airport (EFD)/Houston Spaceport.The additions include Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and Ford E-Transit utility vans for teams handling maintenance, information technology and other airport operations. Replacing gas-powered work vehicles with electric models reduces tailpipe emissions from those daily trips.Progress in reducing emissionsFleet electrification is one part of the airport system's work to reduce its carbon footprint. Other investments include LED lighting, more efficient energy systems and a solar canopy that generates electricity for Hobby Airport operations.In September, Houston Airports reported a 23% systemwide reduction in carbon emissions from its 2019 baseline. From 2019 to 2024, emissions fell 31% at IAH, 28% at HOU and 11% at EFD.All three airports achieved Level 3 in Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program in 2025 and were renewed at Level 3 in 2026. That level expands the work to include collaboration with airlines and other airport partners on managing emissions.

For 45 years, the IAH Subway has lived beneath George Bush Intercontinental Airport, moving millions with the quiet consistency of a machine designed to disappear into the trip.Then, on a Wednesday morning in August, it became the destination.At the Terminal D/E Subway station, a birthday cake, commemorative baby blue socks and stacks of trading cards covered nearby tables. Houston Airports employees gathered beneath the low tunnel ceiling as travelers paused to see why the airport’s underground train was having a party.The Aug. 19 celebration anchored the first-ever IAH Subway Week, Aug. 17–21, marking the system’s 45th anniversary.Houston Airports Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak called the Subway “the quirky thing about IAH.”The description fits. Its compact cars move at a measured pace along a two-mile underground circuit connecting Terminals A, B, C and D/E with the Houston Airport Marriott before security. A complete loop takes about 19 minutes.The IAH Subway is also living transportation history.Houston selected the WEDway PeopleMover in 1979. Designed by WED Enterprises, Disney’s design and engineering organization, the $14.5 million electric system brought technology developed for Tomorrowland into the daily operation of a growing public airport.LEARN MORE | IAH Subway HistoryWhen the WEDway opened Aug. 17, 1981, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck joined Houston Mayor Jim McConn for the dedication. As IAH expanded, so did its Subway. It remains the only transportation system Disney ever designed and built for a public or private entity.In 2025, the IAH Subway carried more than 3.3 million passengers and recorded a 99.76% reliability. Szczesniak used the anniversary to thank the employees behind that performance, shifting attention from the system’s famous origin to the people responsible for its longevity.The IAH Subway is managed within the Houston Airports Infrastructure Division, led by Chief Infrastructure Officer Scott Hill. Terrance York, senior division manager, oversees the group responsible for the Subway, contracts and fleet services. Elesa M. Rodriquez serves as senior project manager for the Skyway and Subway.Throughout IAH Subway Week, displays and public-address announcements traced the system’s 1981 opening, its Disney connection, its engineering and its appearances in popular culture. Trading cards turned archival photographs into keepsakes, while a dedicated webpage extended the experience with historical photos, video and operating information.Airports are often measured by what is new — terminals, technology, routes and records. The IAH Subway represents another kind of achievement: a system that adapted as Bush Airport grew and still serves passengers decades after the future it once represented became the past.