United Airlines expands in Houston
United Airlines thursday announced growth plans in Houston that include a $2.6 billion renovation and expansion of Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), a new United ClubSM location and Early Bag Storage facility (EBS) as well as a new direct flight to Georgetown, Guyana.
These investments are part of the airline’s United Next growth plan and include the expansion of 40 gates at IAH to accommodate larger aircraft, resulting in a 40% increase in the overall number of people who can fly on peak travel dates in 2026 compared to 2023.
“United Next is about new investments that improve the customer experience and building careers for the next generation of aviation professionals – and all those things and more are coming to life here in Houston,” United CEO Scott Kirby said.
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United is the largest airline in Houston, with more than 14,000 employees and 400 daily departures
Terminal B Expansion
United’s Terminal B Transformation Program, pending final approval from Houston’s city council, will play an important part in the estimated 54 million future passengers that will annually travel throughout the Houston hub and aims to improve the travel experience from arrival to departure.
Project highlights include:
- A three-level, 765,000 sq. ft. Terminal B North Concourse with 22 mainline, narrow-body gates
- Converting 30 existing small regional jet gates to 18 gates to accommodate larger, two-class regional jets in the Terminal B South Concourse
- Boarding via jet bridge for all flights
- Two major concessions hubs with more than 115,000 sq. ft. of food and retail space
- A new, state-of-the-art baggage handling system equipped with advanced tracking technology
- The largest United Club
- Expanded curbside and roadway capacity with a ground-level check-in area, including the addition of a traffic bypass between Terminals B and A to allow Terminal B customers to exit the airport without having to drive past Terminal A as they do today
- A new sensory room for passengers with disabilities
New, Cutting-Edge Baggage System
United today also previewed a new Early Bag Storage facility set to become fully operational in early 2024. With a capacity of more than 3,300 trays to store baggage for passengers arriving early before departure, on long layovers, or during irregular operations when flights are delayed, the system will prioritize the release of baggage according to flight time allowing for more efficient and dependable baggage delivery. The new system has a remarkable 40 bags per-minute throughput enabling United’s overall baggage system to handle an impressive 80,000 bags per day. United is the only U.S. airline with a dedicated EBS facility.
New United Club
A new United Club, the largest in the system, is being planned for Terminal B in Houston, which will join the eight new United Club locations that have opened in the last two years.
United’s new clubs boast 50% more seating space on average than the clubs they replace, higher-quality food and beverage options with local flair, and refined designs that reflect the local market and a modern take on the United Club experience.
New Direct Service to Georgetown, Guyana
On April 1, United will be the first airline to offer non-stop service between Houston and Georgetown, Guyana, with four times weekly service on a Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft. This route joins nonstop flights to more than 160 destinations from Houston.
Over the past decade, United has added more than 20 new destinations out of Houston, including to Sydney, Australia; Santiago, Chile; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Munich, Germany and more.
The airline will also debut its largest-ever schedule between Houston and Florida this March, with a 25% increase in flying compared to 2023. The airline is adding more than 200 additional flights in March to top destinations including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando and more.
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