Airport Experience® News - Retail & Services Issue 2025

BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF

TRAVERSING THE TERMINALS HAS Director Makes Connecting With Passengers And Team A Personal Mission

BY SARAH BELING

f you’ve traveled through Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) or George Bush Intercontinental

people face to face. I believe in spending time with our frontline employees. It builds trust and shows that every role matters in delivering a user-friendly and welcoming airport experience.” While “most of the staff recognize me, passengers usually don’t,” says Szczesniak. “I’ve had travelers ask what I do at the airport, and when I say, ‘I’m the airport director,’ they’re surprised. They don’t expect to see it in the fourth-largest city in the U.S., but that’s the point.” The feedback “has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from employees,” adds Szczesniak. “Whether it’s terminal staff, maintenance crews or airfield operations, people appreciate that leadership is present and listening.” And in meeting travelers face-to-face, Szczesniak notes that “the biggest value is hearing directly from passengers about what’s not working. “As airport professionals, we don’t always see the friction points passengers experience through their eyes,” he says. “But when you get asked the same question over and over, that’s a signal that something needs fixing.” The process has even inspired him to extend the interactive mentality to the wider HAS team. “In 2024, all Houston Airports employees who engage with passengers transitioned to wearing bright orange polo shirts – orange means we can help,” says Szczesniak. “You can’t lead an airport from behind a desk,” he adds. “Being out in the field – talking with travelers, listening to staff – that’s how you know what kind of experience you’re actually delivering. It’s how you spot problems early and build a strong, motivated team. Face-to-face interaction is critical if you’re serious about running a world-class airport.”

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Airport (IAH) recently, you may not have noticed a man, sometimes dressed in an orange polo shirt, circling the terminals. But look closer, and you’ll find that the person making the rounds is none other than Houston Airport System (HAS) director of aviation Jim Szczesniak. Szczesniak walks both airports several times a week to get an on-the-ground feel for the passenger and employee experience. “It’s about staying connected to the operation and to the people,” says Szczesniak. “Houston Airports welcomed a whopping 63.1 million passengers in 2024. We inject $40.6 billion into the region’s economy, and our airports are ranked among the best in the world. I want to see the passenger experience firsthand and hear directly from the Houston Airports employees who make it all happen.” For Szczesniak, who makes an effort to visit terminals at peak travel times on Monday and Friday, “walking the terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport gives me real time insight into what’s working and where we can improve,” he says. “It’s part of my leadership style: be present, ask questions, listen and act. By staying connected to the people we serve, we keep airports safe, efficient and a source of pride for Houston.” It’s a strategy that Szczesniak began while leading the team at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), “and I’ve carried it with me to Houston,” he says. “It’s important to be out in the field when leading a large, complex operation like this with more than 1,300 employees. Being in the terminal allows me to see the challenges, support the team and thank

Top: Houston Airport System’s Jim Szczesniak connects with travelers and team members regularly to get an on-the-ground feel for the passenger and employee experience. Above: In 2024, Houston Airport System employees who engage with passengers transitioned to wearing bright orange polo shirts. “Orange means we can help,” says director Jim Szczesniak.

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AX NEWS SEPTEMBER 2025