2026 Houston FIFA World cup

Houston, tx

June 12 – july 6, 2026

Special Air Traffic Procedures

In anticipation of a large number of aircraft operating to and from the Houston area during the months of June and July, the following Special Air Traffic procedures will be used to enhance safety and minimize air traffic delays. These procedures will be in effect from June 12, 2026, 1300 UTC through July 6, 2026, 0400 UTC.

PRIOR PERMISSION REQUIRED (ppr) PROGRAM

Due to the high volume of air traffic anticipated during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a Prior Permission Required (PPR) Program will be in effect for arrivals, including drop-and-go operations, to and from airports in the Houston area, between Saturday, June 12, 2026, 0700 CST and Monday, July 6, 2026, 0000 CST. The following flights are exempt from this program: law enforcement and public safety flights; and regularly scheduled air carriers, air taxi operations, medevac, and locally based operators.

Prior Permission Required (PPR) airports

Prior Permission Required (PPR) Program, review the airport’s NOTAM, and as directed in the NOTAM contact your preferred FBO at that airport, or the Airport Authority. All pilots/operators are strongly encouraged to contact their servicing FBO prior to departure, to ensure availability for both overnight parking and passenger pickup/drop-off. Traffic in the area is expected to be significantly higher than normal operations. Operators without PPR reservations should expect significant delays in and out of the area with the possibility of denial of service. Other airports, including KCXO, KLVJ, KAXH and KIWS, are projecting a potential increase in operations, and parking at these airports may be limited or unavailable. Operators should check NOTAMs and coordinate with FBO’s prior to scheduled arrival.

PPR NOTAM example: IAH/HOU/EFD]  CLSD TO ALL NON-SKED TRANSIENT GA ACFT AND CHARTERS EXC 24HR PPR AT 281-233-7775.

VFR OPERATIONS

Due to the high volume of traffic in the Houston area, VFR arrivals can expect lengthy delays during peak traffic periods. In addition, VFR departures from the Houston area should not expect to obtain an airborne pickup of IFR clearance within 100 NM of their point of departure.

Practice approaches, touch-and-goes, flight following services and pilot training operations at airports in the Houston area will be extremely limited and possibly prohibited during this time frame due to the high volume of traffic associated with the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Game day Procedures:

1. Contact Houston TRACON (I90) prior to entering the terminal area on match days.
2. Squawk assigned beacon code; maintain two-way radio communication.
3. Expect possible holding and sequencing delays. File fuel reserves accordingly.
4. Departure delays following conclusion of matches are likely as traffic surges from the terminal area. Plan for extended ground holds at KHOU, KSGR, and KTME.

SECURITY PROVISIONS

Special security provisions will be in effect for this event including (but not limited to) Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), two-way communication, and discrete transponder requirements. Specific procedures contained in this notice may be revised. Access to some airports may be restricted. Pilots are encouraged to check NOTAMs frequently to verify they have the most current information.

TFR information is normally disseminated via FDC NOTAM 3 to 5 days prior to the event. Once published, text and graphic depictions of restrictions may be found on the following web site: http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html.

Preferred Inbound Routing

Anticipated Traffic Management Initiatives

1. Arrival fix balancing
2. Miles-in-Trail
3. Airborne holding
4. Ground Stops (GS)
5. Ground Delay Programs (GDP)

KHOU Temporary Procedural Adjustments

KHOU will be operating as a SINGLE ACTIVE RUNWAY configuration. All crews are advised of the following:

1. RUNWAY CROSSINGS

a. Aircraft and vehicles will be authorized by HOU tower to cross the active runway ONLY at the arrival end or departure end.

b. Do NOT cross at any intermediate/midfield taxiways unless explicitly cleared by HOU Tower.

2. ATC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS

a. Expect HOU Air Traffic Control Tower to issue DETAILED runway exit and taxi instructions.

b. Read back all runway crossing and taxi clearances in full.

c. Do not hesitate to request clarification if instructions are unclear.

3. TAXIWAY CLOSURES

a. Multiple taxiways are CLOSED due to FBO excess parking operations.

b. Anticipate non-standard taxi routes and potential delays.

c. Verify taxi route with local/ground control prior to movement.

4. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a. A Temporary Procedural Adjustment System Impact Report (SIR) is in effect for HOU.

b. Crews are directed to check the OIS (Operational Information System) page for the HOU Temporary Procedural Adjustment SIR for full airport configuration details.

Review this information during preflight planning and brief your entire crew accordingly.

Remain vigilant, maintain situational awareness, and do not hesitate to query ATC. Safety is the priority.

KHOU airport diagram reflecting taxiway closures for FBO excess parking

CONTACT INFORMATION

1. Houston (ZHU) ARTCC Traffic Management Unit: 281-230-5590
2. Houston District Traffic Management Officer: 832-297-0508