United Airlines Unveils New Concourse and Largest Airline Club in the Americas at Houston Airport

United has previewed its new Terminal B North Concourse at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), a three-level, 765,000-square-foot facility with 22 mainline gates.

Terminal B North also includes a huge, 54,000-sq-ft United Club, the largest club of any airline in the Americas, with seating for 800 people, an outdoor terrace, and panoramic views of the airfield.

The terminal design creates a sense of openness with soaring ceilings, expansive gathering spaces, and sweeping airfield views, and the public spaces feature 10 art installations inspired by Houston's bayous, cultural diversity, innovation, and global connections, as well as a dedicated sensory room for travellers.

"I want our customers to start their vacation the minute they show up at the airport and Terminal B North sets a new standard for facilities across the country," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "Houston is a great example of our focus on the overall customer experience – yes, we're investing in new aircraft, products and technology here, but we're also focused on improving the infrastructure, building new concourses, baggage systems and training and maintenance facilities for our employees."

Travellers will find new retail, concession, and restaurant options, including Houston favourites like B&B Butchers & Restaurant, Rosie Cannonball, Pizaro's Pizza, Blood Bros. BBQ, Katz Coffee, and Blue Bell Creameries.

United is Houston's largest airline, with more than 14,000 employees and 500 daily departures, and has invested more than $3.5 billion in the city's airport since 2015.

The new concourse, replacing facilities dating back to 1969, is the centrepiece of United's broader $2.6B Terminal B Transformation Program. Together with improvements to the Terminal B South Concourse, United will have 48 gates in Terminal B. Every United flight operating from the Terminal B North Concourse will board via a jet bridge, making travel more convenient. The transformation also increases the overall number of customers who can fly on peak travel dates in 2026 by 40% compared to 2023, while building on United's broader investment in Houston facilities and employees.

Operational Excellence and Modern Infrastructure

The new Terminal B is engineered to accommodate United's growing fleet and support a seamless customer journey. Key infrastructure highlights include:

• 22 new mainline gates in the North Concourse: Designed for narrow-body aircraft, with larger seating and boarding areas.

• 26 gates in the South Concourse: Upgrades to the Terminal B South Concourse include accommodations for larger regional aircraft, additional jet bridge access, and other customer-focused enhancements

• Jet bridges for every United flight in North Concourse: All United flights operating from Terminal B North use jet bridges, providing a climate-controlled connection between the terminal and aircraft.

• Advanced baggage technology: A new baggage handling system includes tracking technology designed to support the terminal's increased capacity.

• Expanded airport access: Includes additional curbside and roadway capacity, a ground-level check-in area and a traffic bypass between Terminals B and A.