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» Press Releases
HOUSTON - Bush Intercontinental Airport and the Houston Airport System have rebounded completely after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, setting records in 2004 for total passengers and international passengers.
The total passenger numbers from Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airport (44.8 million) broke the record set in 2000 (44.3 million). Other standards that endured since 2000 included Bush Intercontinental's total passengers (35.3 million) and international passengers (5.6 million), but 2004's performances (36.5 million and just under 6.4 million, respectively) simply reached a higher altitude.
While Hobby's passenger numbers did not set new records in '04, Houston's original airport reached nearly 8.3 million passengers about 700,000 shy of its record of 9.1 million.
This is simply one of the best years ever for our airports, said Rick Vacar, HAS director. We started lots of new service, and to start off the new year we've opened up the new International Arrivals Building (IAB) to welcome the growing numbers of world travelers we expect to see in decades to come.
Helping push Bush Intercontinental's final numbers across the 2004 finish line with a flourish, American Airlines was up 13.3 percent for the month and 14 percent for the year increasing its passenger count at Bush Intercontinental by more than 122,000. America West had a 29.5 percent monthly improvement and was up 5 percent for the year.
Partners Continental and Continental Express accounted for nearly 2.7 million passengers at Houston's largest airport during 2004. Continental Express's service to Mexico was up by 60.7 percent and its service to domestic destinations rose by 14 percent. Its parent airline increased its passenger service in three of the five world regions: the U.S., Central/South America and Europe.
Bush Intercontinental set records in the regional breakdown of service to domestic and Mexican destinations. More than 30.1 million domestic passengers traveled through Bush Intercontinental, shattering the old record of 29.5 million, and 2.6 million traveled to and from Mexico to surpass the old record of 2.2 million.
Newcomer Transmeridian Airlines had a robust year in its debut carrying passengers on charters to and from destinations in the U.S. and Mexico, with more than 94,000 passengers.
The Houston Airport System (HAS) also set records in air freight, moving 782 million lbs., or 355,000 metric tons. The old record from 2000 was 748 million lbs.
Among passenger airlines who also carry freight, Continental carried 20.1 percent more cargo to Central/South America. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (6.5 percent) and Lufthansa (5.1 percent) increased their cargo service to Europe. After launching its Houston service during mid-year, Pakistan International Airlines moved an impressive 396,000 lbs. of cargo to the Asia/Africa/Australia sector.
Several scheduled, high-volume cargo-only carriers had eye-popping upsurges in their productivity for the year: BAX Global (19.9 percent), CargoLux (9.1), FedEx domestic (15.3), LAN Chile (93.2) and Martinair Cargo (37.2).
Hobby is steadily growing its air cargo among its carriers, all of whose primary function is carrying passengers. Southwest Airlines accounts for 86 percent of the passengers at Hobby in '04, but 95.1 percent of the cargo activity during the year and improved by 14.3 percent over 2003's total. Delta's cargo weight went up 17.4 percent.
Noteworthy in the final '04 numbers is Ellington Field's 53,947 passengers moved. Ellington remained a passenger facility until Continental Express discontinued its shuttle service between Ellington and Bush Intercontinental in September. While HAS officials remain open to discussions with carriers about starting passenger service there, Ellington remains active with military operations and private-corporate activity.
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The Houston Airport System served more than 44.8 million passengers in 2004. It is the 4th-largest multi-airport system in the U.S. and the 6th-largest in the world. Bush Intercontinental is the world's 12th-busiest airport. For more information, visit www.fly2houston.com.
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