The year was 1969. The country was in mourning for President Dwight D. Eisenhower; Neil Armstrong had made history by becoming the first man to set foot on the moon; controversy over the Vietnam War was flaring; the Woodstock Festival was in full swing; and Boeing had just introduced their revolutionary new aircraft: the 747 jumbo jet, which could transport in excess of 190 passengers. Here in Houston history was also being made. Aside from being the first word uttered from the lunar surface, the city was also celebrating the inauguration of its brand new international airport: Houston Intercontinental Airport. It was the sister airport to Houston Municipal, which had already been operating for more than 42 years, and it was the toast of the growing international city. Yet not even the most optimistic of aviation enthusiasts back then could have imagined that the airport would become the global hub that it is today. Houston Intercontinental is now George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), named after the first President Bush elected into office, and William P. Hobby is the airport formerly known as Houston Municipal Airport. Together these two airports serve well over 52 million passengers annually. IAH alone is considered the fourth-fastest growing airport in the world.

© Houston Airport System Impressive growth. From 1970 to 2007, passenger traffic has increased by more than 46.5 million, and counting.

Such high traffic figures, however, were not always a part of the Houston identity.

When the Houston Airport System first began tabulating traffic statistics for its two commercial airports, in the late 1960’s, the number of total passengers traveling through Houston was well below the figures of today. In fact, the first year for which 12-month-statistics were available, 1970, registered a sum of only 4.5 million passengers served.

Since then, passenger traffic has increased by more than 46.5 million travelers – 10 times the number of passengers served in 1970.

“We have been very fortunate in benefiting from such positive traffic increases over the years, but we can’t deny that a large part of our growth has been due, in large part to the central location of our city,” says Richard Vacar, director of the Houston Airport System. “The fact that our neighbors to the north and south are just a direct or nonstop flight away, make Houston a destination not to be ignored.”

Aviation insiders seem to agree. Several dozen air carriers offer access to more than 115 domestic and 73 international destinations from Bush and Hobby airports. The all-inclusive transportation network that runs through the city, last year, also fostered a total air cargo movement of more than 347,000 metric tons.

Genaro Pena, marketing director for the Houston Airport System, notes that many air carriers consider the city a primary gateway into the United States and the rest of the world. IAH, for example, offers the highest number of weekly flights and serves the most Mexican destinations than any other airport in the United States.

“What we are finding now is that many Asian and Latin American businesses are looking for better ways to converge their markets,” Pena explains. “Literally, since China Airlines and Korean Air Cargo inaugurated their services to Houston we have been getting a lot more inquiries about new routes. In the coming weeks, we’ll be announcing a few new international routes.”

According to Pena, new routes mean increased economic gains and opportunities for the local region.

“Anytime a new service opens the doors to a new destination, the potential for increased business is heightened,” he says. “We are talking about a faster way to get products from one place to another and an easier way to travel for business or pleasure.”

In 1970, a total of 143,830 international passengers traveled through Houston’s airports. Today, that number has increased to more than 7.4 million.

“This is only the beginning,” promises Vacar.

Copyright © 2007 - Houston Airport System