OREANDA-NEWS. United Airlines, in partnership with Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston Airport System, will break ground today on the airline's new Terminal C North concourse at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the new concourse will offer soaring tarmac views, expansive gate-lounge areas will provide higher levels of comfort and 20 new dining and retail options near boarding gates will give Houstonians and travelers connecting through the airport more of the varied options they enjoy.

The USD 244 million project will create a 265,000-square-foot facility, more than 100,000 square feet larger than the existing Terminal C North, with 11 passenger boarding gates to accommodate a mix of United's narrow-, mid- and wide-body aircraft.

When construction on the new concourse is completed, the Houston Airport System will demolish the existing Terminal C North facility at Bush Intercontinental to enable the reconstruction of the Mickey Leland International Terminal D. The international terminal is critical to Bush Intercontinental's extensive connecting air traffic, particularly for those customers connecting between United flights and flights operated by United's international airline partners.

"The partnership that exists between the City of Houston and United Airlines continues to grow stronger in a variety of important ways," says Houston Mayor Annise Parker. "United continues to connect Houston on a global level through the launching of new nonstop flights and they continue to partner with the city's airport system on vital infrastructure projects, which dramatically improve the overall travel experience for millions of people."

"Through this next phase of our ongoing facilities expansion at Bush Intercontinental, United's customers will enjoy more of the comforts and amenities they have come to expect, and that have made Houston a premier international gateway and a cornerstone of United's global network," says Jim Compton, United's vice chairman and chief revenue officer.

United expects to complete the new Terminal C North concourse in early 2017.