HOUSTON, May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 $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.

High-resolution exterior renderings of United's new Terminal C North are available in the airline's newsroom at newsroom.united.com/IAH-NewTerminalCNorth.

"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.

United In Houston
From Houston, United and United Express offer nearly 560 daily flights to more than 180 destinations around the world, including top business and leisure travel markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Houston hub is United's premier gateway to Latin America, serving 51 nonstop destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

United is one of the city's largest employers, with more than 15,000 Houston-based employees.

About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 373 airports across six continents. In 2014, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 34 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 and the 737-900ER. United is also welcoming 49 new Embraer E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 84,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

About Houston Airport System
Houston Airports served more than 53 million passengers in 2014. Houston's three airports: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) contribute more than $27.5 billion to the regional economy. IAH is the eighth-busiest airport in the nation and is one of the largest hubs for United Airlines.

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SOURCE United Airlines