ConocoPhillips lands in Houston the week of its 2026 earnings and Willow update

ConocoPhillips flew from Skywest Inc. Airport (K7T7) in West Texas to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) on May 18, 2026, a 57-minute hop in its Embraer ERJ-145XR, tail number N284CP. The aircraft, typically used to shuttle crews between Anchorage and the North Slope oil fields, spent the previous two days cycling between Houston and the Marfa region—likely visiting the ConocoPhillips-operated Permian Basin development near Odessa.

The trip lands ConocoPhillips back at its Houston headquarters the same week the company reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $1.78 and generated $5.4 billion in cash from operations, per an April 30 Business Wire release. On a May 8 earnings call, executives highlighted that the $9 billion Willow Project on Alaska's North Slope had reached 50% completion, with an airstrip, roads, and pads built to support year-round, as noted by Petroleum News. CEO Ryan Lance credited Alaska development for keeping the project on track for first oil in 2029.

The ERJ-145XR's recent flights show a pattern of maintenance swing through Odessa (K7T7) and Houston, with the aircraft making three round trips between the two cities in the previous week. ConocoPhillips operates the 11-year-old XR variant, acquired from Intel Aviation in late 2024, primarily for intra-Alaska crew logistics—but this week it was shuttling executives back to corporate headquarters for a busy earnings cycle.