holiday travel news

Houston's IAH expected to be 15th busiest airport this holiday season

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

IAH is projected to handle about 4.58 million passengers during the 2025 holiday travel season, the report found.

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

holidays airport george bush intercontinental airport houston

REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo