William P. Hobby Airport in Houston operates as a major base for Southwest Airlines and is among Texas’s busiest airports. It is served by eight airlines offering flights to over 80 destinations, with nearly 15 million passengers last year. The airport, nearing a century of operations, originally opened in 1927 as a private airfield on a 600-acre pasture. By the early 1930s, Braniff International Airways and Eastern Air Lines were serving it. The city acquired it in 1938, naming it Howard Hughes Airport, but it was quickly renamed Houston Municipal Airport to qualify for federal improvement funds.
Post-war, Houston Hobby saw rapid growth in airlines and routes, especially toward Latin America and the Caribbean. Braniff International Airways began international flights in 1948; Pan Am started flights to Mexico in 1950; and Delta Air Lines began Caribbean routes. KLM offered the first transatlantic flights in 1957. By the 1950s’ end, the airport served over a million passengers annually.
In the 1960s, Delta Air Lines initiated jet service with its Douglas DC-8 to New York. The airport was renamed after former Texas governor William P. Hobby in 1967. With the opening of a new international airport in 1969, all commercial airlines moved there, leaving Houston Hobby without scheduled passenger service.
Southwest Airlines revitalized Houston Hobby in 1971, using it for intrastate flights within Texas, thus avoiding federal regulations and undercutting competitors’ prices. Southwest’s network expanded across Texas, leading to legal battles with Braniff, Texas International, and Continental. However, Southwest prevailed, and by deregulation in 1979, it had secured its position alongside other smaller carriers.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Southwest expanded nationwide, leading to continued growth at Houston Hobby. By the century’s end, it served 30 destinations. In 2011, Southwest pushed for international flights from the airport, resulting in a $156 million expansion for a new concourse with five international gates, operational in 2015.
Today, Houston Hobby may be smaller than its counterpart across town, but it remains vital to the local economy, serving over a million passengers monthly. Skytrax named it North America’s first five-star airport in 2022. Southwest operates 93% of flights, and airlines like Avelo Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines also serve the airport.
Houston Hobby plans a $470 million expansion to include seven new gates and improved facilities. Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation for Houston Airports, stated, “This expansion isn’t just about adding more gates—it’s about enhancing every aspect of the passenger experience.”
Southwest funds much of the expansion, which will conclude by 2027. The expansion prompts Southwest to consolidate operations entirely at Houston Hobby.
