Arup served as the lead planner and a design consultant for the Terminal B transformation, providing multidisciplinary services across the terminal

HOUSTON (October 26, 2026) — Arup joins United in celebrating the completion of  its new Terminal B North Concourse at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), a three-level, 765,000 square-foot, 22 mainline gate facility now open to the public.

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

Arup provided comprehensive planning services across Terminal B, including both concourses and the processor building. Our team established a unified planning basis, coordinating across teams and creating consistency across the passenger journey, from curbside arrival to aircraft departure. Our scope included airport planning, early landside and curb assessments, program of requirements development and passenger flow analysis. Using Arup’s three-dimensional MassMotion modeling tool, the team evaluated circulation, facility performance, and the relationship between the processor building’s access points and interior program areas. Arup also supported facility planning to reduce the impact on travelers during construction.

As part of the Stantec design team, Arup provided electrical, lighting, fire alarm, and fire protection design services for the demolition, renovation, and enabling works packages, including tenant relocation within the terminal. Arup collaborated in the development of resilient electrical and fire protection solutions that exceeded code requirements and enhanced overall life safety, operational continuity, and system reliability.

“As a key partner to United and strong collaborator to the full design team, we brought multidisciplinary engineering to support creation of this elevated passenger experience at IAH,” said Hussein Moussa, Arup’s West + LATAM Aviation Leader and Project Director. “Our role connected multiple stakeholders, creating a consistent experience across the project and ultimately leading to terminal we are all proud of.”

United is the largest airline in Houston, 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 centerpiece 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 through a jet bridge, delivering more convenience to travelers. 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: The gates are designed for narrow-body aircraft and provide 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.

A Sense of Discovery

Terminal B North was designed to elevate the entire experience of getting customers from curb to gate:

• A more inclusive customer experience: Designed to create a more inclusive customer experience, Terminal B features a dedicated sensory room for travelers with autism and sensory sensitivities.

• Built toward LEED certification: As part of United’s commitment to sustainable development, the new IAH Terminal B North Concourse is pursuing LEED Gold Certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4 Building Design and Construction program.