Welcome toGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport

When Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council approved a $2.3 million investment in Ford Lightnings and E-Transit vans on August 20, the move wasn’t about what passengers would see at the curb. It was about what they wouldn’t: the fumes, fuel costs and vulnerabilities. By replacing 35 gas-powered vehicles with all-electric work trucks and vans, Houston Airports is cutting emissions, strengthening resiliency and accelerating toward its goal of carbon-neutral facilities by 2030.In the coming months the keys for the 35 new electric vehicles will be handed over and Houston Airports will have 55 electric vehicles in its fleet—a sharp climb from zero in less than two years. Another 48 are already in the pipeline through a federal grant request. The transition is no longer a test—it’s the plan.Houston Airports has pledged carbon-neutral facilities by 2030. Each new EV helps accelerate that goal. And the economics are compelling. A 2021 EVolve Houston study found that electrifying just over 1,300 city vehicles could save nearly $7 million in fuel and maintenance, while cutting 5,700 metric tons of carbon annually—the equivalent of taking the electricity use of 1,176 homes off the grid.“Fleet electrification isn’t just good for the environment, it’s a smart investment,” said Terrance N. York, division manager of fleet service contracts for Houston Airports. “These vehicles save money over time, and Houston benefits immediately from quieter, cleaner operations. That matters for an airport system serving more than 60 million travelers a year.”Other sustainability upgrades are already visible. LED airfield lighting glows brighter and uses less energy. At IAH, a modernized central utility plant will power terminals with greater efficiency and reliability during Houston’s peak heat. At HOU, a solar panel array harnesses clean, renewable power to offset terminal energy use, reduce reliance on the grid and demonstrate how airports can generate electricity on-site.“We’re not electrifying for appearances—we’re doing it because it makes our system more resilient,” said Scott Hill, deputy director of infrastructure for Houston Airports. “Every EV added, every LED bulb replaced, every system modernized is another step toward a cleaner, more reliable airport. Passengers don’t have to think about power failures or air quality. They simply get a smoother journey.”In just three years, Houston’s airports have moved from no accreditation to Level 3 in Airports Council International’s global carbon program—one of the fastest climbs of any airport system. A large hub, a medium hub and a spaceport achieved Level 3 together, underscoring that sustainability for Houston Airports is not a side project. It’s the strategy.Hurricane Beryl struck in July 2024. Houston Airports discovered a new role for its EV fleet: emergency power grid. Initially purchased for sustainability, Ford Lightnings became mobile generators that powered traffic signals and fueled machinery for emergency repairs. That real-world test transformed the EV fleet from a green statement into an essential resilience tool. For Houston Airports, electric vehicles are reducing emissions and keeping the airport system ready for whatever comes next.

For Raquel Alcazar, a late-night wait at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) had all the makings of a nightmare. Her grandmother’s Aeroméxico flight landed an hour earlier, but there was still no sign of her at the Terminal E International Arrivals hall.“I began to worry with her flight landing at 9:30 p.m., and it was now 10:30,” Alcazar wrote in an online message to Houston Airports. “She barely knows how to use her phone, and I had been waiting an hour for her.”That’s when she met Angela Quevedo, a Houston Airports customer service representative in a bright orange shirt who offered answers and reassurance. Angela explained the longer wait needed for international arriving passengers to clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Angela handed Alcazar a bottle of water and checked in every few minutes until grandmother and granddaughter were reunited.“It’s good to see that your employees care and don’t mind helping!” Alcazar wrote.Two days later, another customer found himself in a different kind of airport limbo. After a weather-delayed flight, Steven Macomber returned to IAH at 3 a.m. — only to realize he couldn’t find his car. He had been searching for eight hours.That’s when Houston Airports parking security specialist Tammy and her colleagues stepped in. Using entry gate records and walking the garages alongside him, the team tracked down Macomber’s vehicle in less than 30 minutes.“The total security parking team executed a very well recovery of my misplaced vehicle and I am very greatly full to their successful results,” Macomber wrote. “Bravo!”Both encounters happened miles apart and under vastly different circumstances, but each left a traveler feeling seen, supported and grateful.It’s the kind of service Cliff Price, general manager of IAH for Houston Airports, knows can make all the difference.“These moments may never make the headlines, but they define the passenger experience,” said Price. “Whether it’s helping someone through the stress of an international arrival or finding a lost vehicle at 3 a.m., our people show what Houston-friendly hospitality is all about.”

In the middle of Houston’s busiest airport, 20 teenagers entered a world defined by constant motion. The echo of rolling suitcases, the language of gate announcements and the flow of travelers from every corner of the globe became their summer soundtrack.The Houston Airports Teen Volunteer Program—a pilot initiative open only to children of Houston Airports employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)—launched to do more than fill a schedule. Under the guidance of Ella Ghica, manager of the volunteer outreach program for Houston Airports, it offered high school students a front-row seat to one of the city's most complex operations.“This was a unique opportunity to step into a working airport, meet people from all over the world and be part of their journey,” Ghica said. “It’s not just about answering questions. It’s about creating moments where someone feels welcomed and cared for in an unfamiliar place.”For 10 weeks, the teens worked pre-security, greeting passengers and answering questions. The work was granular: wayfinding, baggage claim assistance, lost items and guiding travelers to ground transportation. The numbers tell part of the story: 812 hours total—196 in June, 468 in July, 148 in August.But Ghica insists the deeper story is in the transformations she saw. “I am very proud of each of them. Their confidence level has changed tremendously, and their communication skills have grown as they’ve learned to actively listen.”LEARN MORE | Houston Airports Volunteer AmbassadorsThe teenagers, for their part, recall flashes of connection in the chaos. “A couple of seconds of my time and kindness made a big impact. I love it,” one wrote in the program survey. Another remembered finding the right terminal for a family with two small children after they had already been to two wrong ones. “They were stressed and exhausted, but by the time we got there, they were smiling again.”For some, the summer was about navigating cultural and language barriers. “I helped a lady who only spoke Spanish find someone who could guide her,” a volunteer recalled. “Even though I did very little of the actual assistance, she thanked me anyway for finding help in her dialect.” Others were struck by the intimacy of travel itself. “Seeing people reunite and being the first to say, ‘Welcome to Houston’ made me realize how important it is to be kind to everyone,” one teen reflected. Another described reuniting a man with his family as “the best feeling I had this summer.”Kelly Woodward, chief operating officer for Houston Airports, sees the program as an entry point into a world far bigger than the job descriptions most people associate with aviation. “Working at an airport is about so much more than pilots and planes,” she said. “These teens saw firsthand how customer service shapes the passenger experience. A warm welcome, clear directions or a smile at the right moment can make all the difference in someone’s journey.”Names and faces began to emerge in the terminal. Ashton remembered Ghica’s constant reminder: “Give everyone coming to Houston a big, friendly Houston smile.” Jackson found his joy in the feeling itself: “If you enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling of helping people, you’ll enjoy volunteering at the airport.” Josie, whose parents work at IAH, found the unpredictability intoxicating: “Every day there’s something new and it’s fun.”Passengers noticed, too. On July 30, someone in Terminal A Baggage Claim took the time to send feedback through the Houston Airports online portal: “One of the Teen Volunteer Ambassadors was extremely nice and helpful with my needs. I was having troubles connecting to Wi-Fi and he was not only very knowledgeable he was also customer service focused. I love this program.”On July 10, another traveler described the teens they encountered as “polite, well-informed and patient,” adding that “the ones we encountered were very impressive.”The program will return next summer. Ghica hopes to see many of these same teens back in the terminal, ready to pick up where they left off. Because in an industry that runs on efficiency and logistics, the program is a reminder of something more enduring. In the fleeting space of an airport, a moment of human connection can carry as much weight as the journey itself.