by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Fri March 13, 2015
PHOTO: Southwest flight 2207 gets the customary firemen's welcome as the first international flight to land at Hobby Airport since the 1960s. (courtesy KHOU)
For the first time since the 1960s, William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, saw the arrival of an international flight when Southwest Airlines Flight 2207 from Aruba landed at the state's oldest airport last week.
According to Tim Wetzel of KHOU 11 News, Soutwest Airlines has joined forces with the city of Houston to build a brand new international arrivals terminal at William P. Hobby Airport worth $156 million. The building project will include five new gates and U.S. customs facilities, and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2015.
Southwest Vice President Teresa Laraba told Wetzel, "This is a huge deal for Houston and for Southwest Airlines."
The goal of the airport expansion is for the facilities to act as a "Latin American gateway" by scheduling regular flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, according to Wetzel.
When Flight 2207 touched down in Houston, the airport began a huge celebration. Not only did the facility offer the arriving plane a water cannon salute from one of the emergency vehicles, but passengers onboard were also greeted with cheers and a cake.
According to AirwayNews.com, Southwest Airlines had to request special permission from the United States government to open the international terminal at Hobby Airport, and the request was granted last week.
This is great news for the city of Houston. The addition of international terminals at the state's oldest airport will help generate more revenue for the facility and the surrounding area. With most of the target cities for flights being major tourist destinations, the airport should see a major boom.
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