Aviation Director Jim Sezniak: West Pier opens Oct. 22; airport to add lanes, parking and new international processing

Aviation Director Jim Sezniak told the Houston City Council’s Economic Development Committee on Oct. 16 that the Houston Airport System will open its new West Pier on Oct. 22 and roll out a series of infrastructure changes aimed at shortening travel times, expanding curb space and improving passenger amenities.

Sezniak said the West Pier contains six wide‑body gates that can be converted into ten narrow‑body gates and will feature work by Houston artists at each gate. "We are about to celebrate a significant opening, which is October 22," he said, calling the facility "world class." He invited council members to an employee preview at 9:30 a.m. that day.

Why it matters: city modeling shows the current curb/road circuit around the international complex takes roughly 14 minutes under heavy conditions. Sezniak said reopening a previously closed lane ahead of Thanksgiving will reduce that modeled loop to about 8.5 minutes, and that after further ICP (International Central Processor) openings the loop should fall to roughly six minutes.

Sezniak described several customer‑facing upgrades: new seating with individual power outlets, refreshed restrooms (Terminal A restrooms were funded with $9,000,000 in prior council action), expanded concessions including multiple Starbucks locations and additional duty‑free retailers, and new family play areas. He said the airport is replacing parking equipment across garages to enable cashless pay and license‑plate recognition tied to parking reservations.

On curbside and traffic management, Sezniak outlined seven to eight dedicated positions — city airport personnel and contracted law enforcement — assigned to direct traffic at busy nodes, TNC pickup and garage ingress/egress. He said the single international arrivals curb will be expanded; the final configuration will be eight lanes with six opening initially to reduce pickup congestion.

Sezniak also reviewed passenger screening and baggage capacity plans tied to the ICP openings. He said United Airlines will move into the first phase of the ICP in January, which will add curb capacity and a 17‑lane TSA checkpoint. "We get the real benefits with United moving in there," he said, while cautioning that baggage systems are a frequent risk and require careful commissioning.

Sezniak added that the airport is upgrading jet bridges with FAA grant support and installing ground power and preconditioned air so aircraft can plug into the airport’s electrical system, reducing engine‑run emissions.

What’s next: Sezniak said ITRIP final completion is expected in late summer 2025, when international carriers will occupy the new terminal and Terminal D will close. He also previewed upcoming solicitations for project management support services and runway/taxiway work.

Quotes: "It's gonna be a world class facility," Sezniak said of the West Pier, and later, "we are going to deliver the infrastructure prior to the holidays" when pressed about schedule risks.

The committee did not vote on any airport items during the meeting; members asked detail questions about traffic modeling, baggage‑system commissioning and outreach for adjacent roadway improvements. The committee was reminded the next Economic Development Committee meeting is Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.