George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s (IAH) new Sister Cities display is a gleaming addition to its state-of-the-art international passenger arrivals facility.

The map and plaque serve as a modest reminder of pledges between the City of Houston and 16 international cities, as part of the Sister Cities of Houston organization. The unveiling of the display drew dozens of diplomatic, federal and aviation representatives who watched as the two year project came to fruition.

Among those at the ceremony was Ellen Goldberg, president Sister Cities of Houston.

“Sister Cities is an organization that was begun by President Eisenhower in 1956, we just finished our 50th anniversary,” she explained. “Today more than 2,500 communities and 126 countries around the world participate in the Sister Cities program, strengthening the bonds of friendship and understanding between the nations, the people and businesses.”

“The Houston Airport System, recognizes IAH’s unique position as an international gateway, the display serves as evidence of our commitment to sustained growth and advancing the global reputation of the Houston Airport System (HAS) and the Houston metropolitan area as a whole," says Rick Vacar, director of the Houston Airport System.

Bush Intercontinental Airport is also the first Model Port in the country, due to a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It serves as a prototype for customer-friendly procedures and a welcoming environment for international travelers.

The new program includes increased signage, a multi-lingual instructional video, new training for Customs and Border Protection agents and improved personal interaction with arriving passengers.

Houston’s international passengers arrive in the largest Federal Inspections Facility in the nation. The $440 million dollar facility includes 84 arrival booths that can process up to 4,500 passengers an hour.

The Houston Airport System served more than 51-million travelers in 2006, of those some 7.5 were international passengers. More than a dozen international air carriers operate at IAH flying everything from passengers to cargo and the airport ranks 16th in the world in the number of international passengers it serves.