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» » » George Bush Intercontinental
Since becoming part of the Houston Airport System in 1969, Bush Intercontinental Airport has provided the City of Houston and the entire Gulf Coast region with first-class airport facilities and a wide range of aviation services. Offering direct access to more than 180 destinations throughout the United States and the world, the airport served a record number of passengers in 2004.
In order to continue providing the growing number of passengers using the airport with an unsurpassed level of service, and to ensure that the airport remains a powerful economic engine well into the 21st century, the Houston Airport System has embarked on an ambitious airport development program. Recent airport improvements range from the construction of a new runway and taxiways to the expansion of existing terminal facilities.
The recently completed update of the airport master plan served as a springboard for the formulation of the airport development program. Details of the development program were, in turn, guided by the Houston Airport System's long-range vision that seeks to build a solid economic foundation for the airport while providing modern, convenient |
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George Bush Intercontinental
© Houston Airport System
| passenger amenities and safe, efficient airfield facilities. In all planning efforts, the Houston Airport System has sought to balance the goal of economic growth with the potential environmental impacts associated with airport development.
Special Projects at Bush Intercontinental
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In 2004, Bush Intercontinental Airport served more than 36 million passengers, surpassing its previous record of 35.3 million passengers in 2000. In addition, last year alone it added 15 new international destinations to its network of air service around the globe. The 8th busiest airport in the United States based on total passenger enplanements and the 11th busiest in the world, Intercontinental is the 7th largest international gateway in the country. It is estimated that the airport generates a regional economic impact of more than $24.2 billion annually and creates more than 150,000 jobs.
George Bush Intercontinental
© Houston Airport System
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The true measure of the airport's value to the city, however, lies beyond the numbers. Direct service links Houston with every region of the country and international flights span the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Current international destinations include Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Although the historical statistics are impressive, the future looks even better. It is projected that the growth in air service will surpass that of most of the nation's airports. Specifically, it is projected that today's record-setting passenger enplanements will double by the year 2017, an average annual increase of almost 4 percent. Annual aircraft operations are projected to increase from the current level of over 480,000 operations to more than 828,000 by the year 2017. Similar growth is expected for air cargo activity, which is projected to increase an average of about 4 percent annually, increasing to more than 800,000 tons (enplaned and deplaned) in 2017. These projections are based not only on the expectation that airlines will increase service frequency in existing markets, but also on plans for expanding service to new domestic and international destinations.
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One of the Houston Airport System's greatest assets for providing safe and efficient airfield facilities is the new air carrier runway that opened in November 2003. Runway 8L/26R lies parallel to Runway 8R/26L and about 4,500 feet away. Runway 15R/33L has been widened and extended to 10,000 feet to accommodate the arrivals and departures of commercial jets. The airfields are made even better with a generous selection of taxiways, many of which are new, and they allow for more efficient movement of aircraft on the ground.
To accommodate future demands for air cargo transportation, new air cargo consolidation and distribution facilities will also be constructed. The new facilities will be designed to process a wide variety of cargo types, ranging from large oilfield equipment to delicate perishables such as flowers and fresh seafood.
With recent improvements including new concourses at Terminals A and C, the Houston Airport System has some of the nation's finest terminal facilities. New concourses will soon be added in Terminals B and D. Like the ones in A and C, those will have loading bridges that accommodate either domestic or international flights. A new above-ground people mover, the TerminaLink train system, connects Terminals B, C, D and E.
Effective airport operation includes an efficient means of transporting and managing the flow of passengers to and from the airport. In an effort to be prepared for future passenger transportation opportunities, the Houston Airport System reserved space for a future rail right-of-way, which will link Intercontinental with the City. There are plans for a consolidated rental car facility that will provide greater passenger convenience and ease congestion at the curbside. The Hardy Toll Road connector is now completed. It has improved the flow of automobile traffic and increased the capacity of the roads accessing the airport. Passenger automobile parking capacity will be expanded as part of passenger terminal facility upgrades, and there are plans for additional employee parking lots as well.
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Taking off from Bush Intercontinental.
© Houston Airport System
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Environmental issues are an integral part of the planning process and future development is constantly being evaluated for impacts in terms of the pollution generated directly, and the pollution that may be generated by secondary and tertiary activities that result from airport development. The effect on the environment is evaluated during the identification and assessment of development alternatives based on the environmental impact on the waterways, noise levels, air pollution, and secondary activities such as traffic that in turn increase air and noise pollution. All projects are carried out with the maximum public input and full compliance with environmental regulations.
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