Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
This is a General Safety concern. No faults were committed by myself or the Captain. HOU ATC is constantly running 1 frequency to work Tower and Ground Control. This is causing an unsafe level of radio congestion. We could not get a push call in without blocking other aircraft or being blocked ourselves. Finally; once pushed; we had difficulty obtaining a taxi clearance. We finally were told to taxi and hold short of 13L. As we were holding short; we noted several aircraft attempting to push; taxi to and from runways; and obtain landing clearances. We noticed one corporate aircraft that could not obtain a landing clearance until short final; despite multiple attempts on their part; with no answer from Tower.HOU is a complex airport with multiple crossing runways; multiple taxi routes utilized; while also crossing runways. HOU ATC has been utilizing a single Controller for Ground and Tower Ops for most of the last 12 months; since the start of the slow down in air traffic. While this may have worked in the early days of this pandemic; it has turned into its own form of danger as air traffic has steadily increased; especially with the onset of Spring Break travel.I believe I am not alone in my concern that this could cause a serious incident at HOU; as there is no way a single Controller can safely manage traffic on the ground and in the air. I have been to far less complex; and less busy airports that utilize designated Ground and Tower Controllers. Please see to it; that this is not allowed to continue any longer. It poses a danger to our aircraft and our customers.
Air carrier First Officer reported not being able to communicate with ATC due to Controller working Tower and Ground Control combined at HOU airport.