Air travelers to soar over holiday
1.8 million will fly through Bush, Hobby; new app ready
The Houston Airport System is gearing up for 1.8 million million travelers through Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, up from last year’s forecasted travelers.
Nationally, a record 31.6 million passengers are expected to fly during the extended holiday period from Friday through Dec. 3, up nearly 4 percent from last year, according to the industry trade group group Airlines for America.
Bush Intercontinental
Airport is forecast to have 1.3 million travelers depart, land or connect through its terminals during roughly the same period, according to Houston Airport System. That’s also up about 4 percent from last year’s 1.25 million people forecast to travel last year. Holiday travelers through Hobby are expected to decline slightly, to about 457,000 from the 464,000 forecast last year.
Southwest Airlines has five to seven fewer flights at Hobby Airport this Thanksgiving holiday as the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft remain grounded. Though the airline continues to invest in Houston, recently announcing that it will increase its Houston-Cozumel, Mexico, flights to twice a day starting in March.
Also affecting Hobby’s numbers is JetBlue Airways moving its operations from Hobby to Bush Intercontinental
last month.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, is poised to be the busiest travel day ever for the U.S. airline industry, with 3.1 million passengers, according to Airlines for America.
“The popularity of air travel continues to soar this holiday season, as airlines and airports alike continue to invest billions of dollars into improving the quality of the experience and the efficiency of their operations," John Heimlich, Airlines for America vice president and chief economist, said in a
Deck the halls
In Houston, Bush Intercontinental will have additional decorations this holiday season. These decorations were previously limited to parts of the airport that travelers see before going through security. Now, it will be available after security, too, presenting 174 different bows that are as large as 5 feet tall, over 20,000 twinkling lights and more than 1,000 balls of garland at the city’s northern airport.
Hobby has previously had decorations past the security checkpoint, though it will have more this year.
“It’s just continuing that theme throughout the entire airport,” said Houston Airport System spokesman Foti Kallergis. “It helps get people in the holiday spirit. It makes them happier.”
Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports also have a new app, Access Houston Airports (iOS, Android) to help children with intellectual and developmental disabilities navigate their terminals. This provides short picture stories that describe each space in the airport, a checklist schedule of what to expect from receiving a ticket to boarding the plane and communication icons to assist those who are less verbal in talking or asking for help.
And for travelers who find themselves in Terminal E with some extra time, a new kiosk will be available near Gate E11 to teach travelers CPR in just five minutes.
The CPR kiosk
The kiosk, which will be installed Friday by the American Heart Association and United Airlines, is free to use. It has a screen that will show a video introducing hands-only CPR. A rubber torso is also on the kiosk so travelers can practice chest compressions, receiving feedback on the depth and rate of compressions as well as proper hand placement.
Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and more than 20 percent occur in places like airports and sporting facilities, according to the American Heart Association.
“Airports are an ideal location to house CPR kiosks because of the number of unique visitors who pass through every day,” American Heart Association spokeswoman Stacy Christian said in an email. “Bystander CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, which is why the hands-only CPR education available at the kiosk is so valuable.”