Flying high

Major Texas airport lands honor as best and cleanest in the U.S.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport Houston

Attention, passengers: Bush is the best in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of Visit Houston

Travel can be tenuous of late, and choosing a good airport for a layover or plane change can be more important than ever. Both airports in one major Texas city have just landed high honors on a prestigious global ranking.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the No.1 airport in the U.S., according to the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards, specifically in the World’s Top 100 Airports category.

Bush also ranks as the cleanest airport in the nation. Bush scored second-best airport in North America, achieving both honors for the second consecutive year. Soaring six spots this year, Bush now ranks No. 25 among the top 100 world airports on this list.

IAH also finished fourth in the rankings for Best U.S. Airport Staff, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, Houston's Hobby Airport received several accolades as well, including the most improved airport in the U.S. The bustling Southwest Airlines hub also ranked third in the Best Regional Airports in North America category.

Hobby ranked 49th in the Top 100 Best World Airports category — up from 67th in 2020, per a release. Additionally, Hobby ranked tenth in the Cleanest Airports - North America category.

Notably, Houston is the only U.S. city to have two airports in the Best Airports in North America and Cleanest Airports categories.

Neither D-FW Airport nor Dallas Love Field made the list.

To generate the annual rankings, the Skytrax World Airport Awards rankings analyze the annual airport customer survey for the Passenger’s Choice Awards, conducted from August 2020 until July 2021. Many travelers voted for their favorite and/or best airport based on pre-pandemic travel experiences, while other customers voted after their COVID-19 airport experience during the past 12 months, a release notes.

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Airport News

DFW Airport seeks local restaurants to fill 14 new open slots

Manning

DFW Airport restaurants

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is seeking new restaurants who want to open a location on the premises. According to a release, the airport has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), inviting local brands and flavors to apply for 14 retail and dining locations across multiple terminals.

“As we build new gates, reimagine existing spaces and construct a new Terminal F, DFW Airport is committed to showcasing our region through our shops and restaurants so that when people travel through our terminals, there’s no denying they have arrived in the heart of Dallas and Fort Worth,” says DFW Chief Revenue Officer Ken Buchanan in a statement. “DFW serves tens of millions of travelers each year, and this is a chance for local businesses to help create an incredible sense of place within our terminals.”

The RFP is open for submissions now through February 2, 2026, and includes 11 food and beverage opportunities and three specialty retail locations across Terminals A, B, E, and F.

Concepts range from fast-casual, fast-food, and grab-and-go concepts to frozen treats, popcorn, cosmetics, and specialty retail.

All proposal submissions must be made through the Bonfire Procurement Platform.

DFW welcomed approximately 87 million customers in 2024, with continued growth projected to surpass 100 million passengers per year before 2030.

The latest RFP opportunity comes as DFW continues to make progress on its $12 billion capital improvement plan, DFW Forward, which is transforming terminals, expanding gate capacity and enhancing the customer experience across the entire airport. In addition to the new Terminal F, DFW is rebuilding Terminal C and expanding gate areas in Terminals A and C – projects that will introduce modern spaces, new amenities and a stronger platform for small and local businesses to grow inside one of the world’s busiest airports.

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