It happened around 3 a.m. in the 5700 block of Telephone Road.
The man called dispatchers and told them he had a flat tire and a bomb in his car, according to Houston police. Deputies with the Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's Office spotted the man driving the wrong way on Telephone Road and chased him for a time before he pulled over, police said.
When deputies approached, he told them he had a bomb in the car and had placed explosives at Hobby Airport. That prompted a call for a bomb squad, and the man was taken into custody.
No explosives were found, and the man was believed to be under the influence, according to HPD Lt. R. Willkens.
"We're not sure if he was just that highly intoxicated and making up all these statements," Willkens said.
The area of Telephone Road was blocked off for a time while officers checked the vehicle and a backpack the man had inside the car, but was later reopened.