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United Airlines announced yesterday that a $2 billion investment is being made to transform Terminal B at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
This ambitious project will add 40 new gates and redefine the air travel experience for an estimated 36 million passengers. Passengers will find new convenience and amenities throughout the terminal. The massive construction project includes expanding curbside and roadway capacity, increasing the size of the ticketing lobby, adding dynamic signage including intuitive wayfinding systems, and a new ground-level check-in area. The third floor will have a more streamlined security checkpoint.
On the airside, the New Terminal B North expansion is made up of two new passenger concourses. These replace the 1969-era Flight Stations. It will span 765,000 square feet over three levels to accommodate 22 narrowbody gates. The largest United Club℠ in the system, stealing the title from Denver International Airport (DEN), will be constructed on the mezzanine level. It will provide unobstructed views of the airfield.
The Terminal B South Concourse will convert 30 gates that currently serve 50-seat regional jets to accommodate larger, two-class regional jets. All flights will be boarded with jet bridges.
The new concourse design also caters to travelers with special needs and will include a sensory room, a multimedia interactive United-branded park, and comfort zones for passengers with disabilities that provide quiet spaces for those needing to decompress between security and boarding. The project will also include 115,000 square feet of food and retail space with some promised “unique” dining and shopping experiences.
Finally, the baggage claim hall will be expanded to incorporate a new baggage handling system that is equipped with advanced baggage tracking technology.
Phil Griffith, United’s Vice President of IAH, said:
This investment further supports United’s position as Houston’s carrier of choice. On behalf of our more than 14,000 employees who call Houston home, I can’t wait to continue to do all we can to serve our customers flying to, from and through our hub on more than 400 flights each day.”
United Airlines will invest more than $1.9 billion in the Terminal B Transformation Program and the City of Houston will pay an additional $624 million for this massive project.
Anthony’s Take: The renderings look gorgeous and this is a much needed investment to bring the airport into the modern day. It will be great to see this when it’s complete.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
