During a recent trip to Houston, I had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the new terminal in construction at Houston Hobby Airport. Set to open in October 2015, the new terminal will feature five arrival and departure gates for international flights. The $156 million project is fully funded by Southwest Airlines. Four of the gates will be leased by Southwest for international travel, with the fifth gate available for other interested carriers. To accommodate the increase in service, security checkpoint lanes will increase from eight to 14. In preparation of the new terminal opening, a brand-new multilevel parking garage and modified roadway are also under construction. We began our tour in the security area, moving on to the main concourse. We climbed below ground level to take a look at the baggage system. Once a passenger checks his luggage, it’s sent underground through the baggage system. It was fascinating to see the inner workings and all of the intricate details into building a new terminal. Houston Hobby Airport sets its sights on the future: The new terminal is designed with room to expand to a total of 12 gates. No timeline has been set for this expansion. — Katie Skrzek, digital director