Houston's Hobby Airport Opens New Baggage Claim Area

HOUSTON, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Houston Airports celebrates the completion of a major improvement for customers at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) with the unveiling of a newly renovated baggage claim area. Hobby Airport now offers passengers more spacious baggage conveyors, upgraded lighting, new terrazzo flooring and larger restroom facilities.

"We've made a commitment to the public to return our facilities to opening day fresh," said Mario Diaz, director of aviation for the Houston Airports. "This renovation goes a long way in living up to that commitment.  This is a high-traffic area where customers will definitely notice the improvements."

The new baggage space is an open concept, making the area look larger and much brighter. The project was part of a complete makeover of the facility valued at $350 million in renovations over the past two years that included new ticket counter spaces and a renovated lobby.

"Hobby Airport has come a long way in a short amount of time," said Ross Underhill, Hobby Airport acting general manager. "We've been able to upgrade the airport in several different areas that have made a huge impact to our customers."

Meanwhile, construction crews are working on a project to rebuild the entrance ramp, which is scheduled to re-open in August 2012. 

Hobby Airport is ranked as the 37th busiest airport in North America based on passengers according to Airports Council International-North America. In 2011, Hobby reported 9,843,302 passengers, which is a 15.8 percent increase over 2010 traffic.

To view pictures of the new baggage area, visit our Flickr page at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAdfdEL

The Houston Airport System (HAS) served more than 49.9 million passengers in 2011. Houston's three airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) contribute more than $27 billion to the regional economy.  For more information, visit fly2houston.com and follow us @IAH and @HobbyAirport.

SOURCE Houston Airport System