Diaz on continuous traffic woes at IAH as summer travel season looms: 'We do have to sometimes just do as best we can'

With mere weeks before for the busy summer travel season begins, people who have flights departing George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will need to pack lots of patience along with their clothes and toiletries. 

According to a report from Houston CBS affiliate KHOU, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said IAH continues to grapple with heavy traffic as major construction at the city’s main air gateway continues.

“Anytime you’re doing major, major construction, it is very, very difficult to do it without there being some inconvenience,” Turner said in the report. 

Getting in and out of the so-called “Big Airport” has proven rather difficult since the start of the $1.4 billion expansion project. 

"We do have to sometimes just do as best we can and settle for getting people through as quickly as possible,” Mario Diaz, the city’s director of aviation, said, KHOU reported.

A slew of major events held in Houston tested the airport’s congested roadways, including the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament and the yearly Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). 

Per KHOU, OTC, which draws tens of thousands of attendees from around the world, purportedly caused gridlock in and around IAH on Sunday. 

Turner urged passengers and others to practice patience and “be understanding,” the station reported.

IAH officials provided some tips for flyers to use before leaving for their flights. 

They’re advised to consult the airport website for parking garage capacity updates, arrive three hours early for international departures, two hours early for domestic departures, park in alternate terminals and use the airport’s tram system. 

Those who park their vehicles at park and fly facilities should expect delays with shuttle buses, the airport said, according to the station. 

Houston Daily reported that the expansion work is part of the IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program, with the Houston Airport System (HAS) expecting a late 2024 completion date.