Hobby Airport opens first phase of Southwest Airlines concourse

The Houston Airport System and Southwest Airlines have opened the first phase of its international terminal and concourse.

 

The 280,000-square-foot West Concourse, as the whole international terminal, federal inspection station and new Southwest ticket station is being called, is being opened in two phases.

 

On Sept. 1, Southwest opened its new ticket station, which includes self-service stations, as well as international and domestic flight check-in, according to project manager Bill Manning.

 

The new ticket station — about double the size of the current one — will replace the existing ticket check-in station. The existing space will open up the airport's lobby, but has the capacity to more than double the existing Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints.

 

The rest of the West Concourse is expected to open Oct. 15, alongside the bulk of Southwest's international flights. Additional flights to Costa Rica will start in November, said Southwest Airline's Denise McElroy.

 

The other piece of the West Concourse puzzle is the new parking garage. That project, paid for by the city of Houston, will open in two phases, the first is expected to open by Thanksgiving, the second sometime in February 2016, Manning said.

 

(Joe Martin - Houston Business Journal)