HOUSTON, Texas — Delayed flights are part of air travel, but traffic troubles are once again plaguing passengers or those picking them up at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he’s seen video of traffic jams and previous photos of frustrated folks going as far as getting out and walking to make their flights.
"And I know there’s inconvenience,” Turner said. "But anytime you’re doing major, major construction, it is very, very difficult to do it without there being some inconvenience."
IAH is in the middle of a $1.4 billion project that includes a Terminal E expansion.
And while the passenger count has risen dramatically, ways in and out of the airport haven’t necessarily kept up.
"We do have to sometimes just do as best we can and settle for getting people through as quickly as possible,” said Houston Airports Director of Aviation Mario Diaz.
Last year, the airport saw more than 9 million international travelers and more than 40 million passengers go through the airport a year.
Airport officials do say that new traffic signals and other measures have helped and work to add capacity on some roads around Bush should be completed by the fall of 2024.
Meanwhile, the airport has some tips before heading to your flight:
-Check the website for things like parking garage capacity updates.
-Arrive three hours early for international travel.
-Arrive two hours early for domestic flights.
-Park in alternate terminals and use the tram system.
It's also important to keep in mind that shuttles from outlying parking lots may experience the same delays as everyone else.
"What I would say to people is be patient, be understanding,” said Turner.
The annual Offshore Technology Conference, or OTC, may have contributed to gridlock last Sunday.
Tens of thousands of attendees arrived in Houston from all over the world.