Houston travelers should budget extra time if they're flying from George Bush Intercontinental Airport. IAH is expected to see the 15th highest passenger numbers in the country this holiday season, a new report says.
According to transport services provider Transfeero, IAH is estimated to receive about 4.58 million passengers during the 2025 holiday season, up from 3.19 million on average over the last five years.
George Bush Intercontinental posted to social media on November 20 that they're expecting about 1.6 million travelers to pass through the airport during the Thanksgiving travel period alone, November 20-December 1. The busiest days are expected to fall on November 26 and 30.
To come up with its estimates and rankings, Transfeero's experts analyzed 2020-2024 travel data for the months of November and December across 29 major U.S. airports to predict passenger numbers for 2025. The report also calculated the average number of passengers from 2020-2024 during the last two months of each year, combined it with 2025 estimates, and determined the expected growth rate for the upcoming travel season.
The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics says November and December air travel often spikes by 20 percent or more when compared to the fall months.
"Every year, the final two months of the calendar bring a storm of travelers packing terminals, queuing for security, and racing to catch flights," the report said. "Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve, airports across America transform into organized chaos, moving millions of passengers eager to reunite with loved ones or escape to warmer destinations."
Projected air travel at other Texas airports
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranked No. 2 on the Transfeero's list of the country's busiest airports during the 2025 holiday travel season. From 2020-2024, DFW saw an average 5.68 million passengers during November and December, and the number of passengers this year is expected to increase by 40 percent to nearly 7.98 million travelers.
The report also expressed that the busy travel season confirms "DFW's role as the central cross-country connector."
"Serving as American Airlines’ main base, [DFW's] location between coasts makes it an essential layover hub for both domestic and international travelers," the report's author wrote.
DFW's projected holiday passenger traffic was only outdone by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia. ATL is expected to see about 10.43 million passengers from November-December 2025, compared to a five-year average of about 7.04 million passengers.
Elsewhere in Texas, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) ranked at the bottom of the list as the 28th busiest airport, despite passenger traffic expected to soar nearly 56 percent compared to previous years. An average 1.46 million passengers traveled through AUS during the months of November and December from 2020-2024, and the airport is expected to see over 2.27 million passengers during the same two-month period this year.
"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported in 2024 that Thanksgiving weekend alone saw over 30 million travelers, setting a record," the report said. "With consumer confidence rebounding and international restrictions long lifted, 2025 is shaping up to be another record year."
The top 10 U.S. airports expected to handle the most passenger traffic during the 2025 holiday season are:
- No. 1 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- No. 2 – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
- No. 3 – Denver International Airport
- No. 4 – Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- No. 5 – Los Angeles International Airport
- No. 6 – John F. Kennedy International Airport
- No. 7 – Harry Reid International Airport
- No. 8 – Orlando International Airport
- No. 9 – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- No. 10 – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
