If you’re familiar with the Houston Airport System (HAS) at all you probably know the basics. The three airport system is made up of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Field. When traveling by air you might have passed through Bush Intercontinental and/or Hobby airports. If you or a loved one is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces you probably are more familiar with Ellington Field than say someone who has no ties to the military. However, something that most people usually don’t think about is the impact that the Houston Airport System has on the local economy. So take a gander, how much of an impact do you think Houston’s airports have on the local economy? If you’re thinking millions of dollars and a couple thousand jobs, keep adding. HAS generates in excess of $25 billion annually in positive economic impact for the Greater Houston region and supports over 151,000 local jobs. That might give you a little more insight as to why airport authorities often compare the airport environment to a city within a city. Much like a local city government operates its own public works, planning and police departments the Houston Airport System operates its own airport maintenance, planning and public safety departments. These entities are supported through an enterprise fund that depends zero percent on taxpayer dollars. “A lot of people don’t think about the infrastructure that goes into an airport. They know aircraft land and takeoff and that they have to abide by certain guidelines in order to board a plane, but outside of that few people have time to stop and really analyze the ins and outs of an airport,” says Richard M. Vacar, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System. “If you stop and think about it though, you quickly start to understand the complexity of it all.” Which brings us to our next point – if you had to take a wild guess how many travelers would you say pass through Bush and Hobby airports each year? This would not be your cue to logon to the airport system’s website, although airport authorities do recommend frequent and active visits to www.fly2houston.com.

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Last year, Houston’s airports served a record 52 million passengers and, just in case you’re wondering, handled nearly 400,000 metric tons of air cargo. That includes everything from flowers, fruits and vegetables to animals and oversized drilling equipment going to destinations all over the world.

Individually, Bush Intercontinental Airport, also known as IAH, is the eighth-busiest airport in the United States. It first opened its doors in 1969 and since then IAH has grown almost nonstop. The airport now sits on well over 10,000 acres and offers the most number of weekly flights to Mexico, as well as service to the highest number of Mexican destinations than any other airport in the country. That is no small feat for an airport that started as a standalone aviation facility on the outskirts of Houston.

Today, not only is the airport bustling with new business, but so are the surrounding communities around it. The City of Humble has grown hand in hand with the airport and now generates one of the largest sales tax bases in the local region, according to city officials.

If you’re thinking well that’s great for the airports but what do I care, you will want to read our next excerpt very carefully.

“The more robust our airports and the local economy are, the more attractive of a destination we are for new airlines and new services,” notes Vacar. “That’s particularly important when you are dealing with a less than ideal economic situation as we are now.”

In fact, Houston offers flights to more than 115 destinations within the United States and nearly 70 international destinations. Even as the U.S. economy has taken a turn for the worst Houston’s economy and aviation market are attracting new carriers. Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Continental Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways are only a few of the carriers that have initiated or announced new air services from Houston in recent months.

That means destinations like Moscow, Singapore, Qatar, Dubai and London and now more accessible than ever from Houston.

Now for a little historical insight, how old do you think Houston’s oldest airport is? If you’re thinking IAH the answer is nay. Actually Ellington Field is the longest standing airport in the City of Houston.

This general aviation airport last year celebrated its 90th anniversary of existence, although it has gone through a series of ups and downs over the years. Ellington Field, also known as EFD, is the smallest of Houston’s airports. It was established in 1917 as a private airport and was not purchased by the City of Houston until 1984. However, it has maintained a military presence since 1917 and last year the Texas Air National Guard celebrated its long history of patriotism to the country with a 90th anniversary.

Next up for the airport that annually hosts the spectacular Wings Over Houston Air Show are a series of new developments. Since adding a new taxi lane last year the airport has been courting several business opportunities, including a couple of new fixed base operators, or private aviation terminal facilities.

William P. Hobby Airport on the other hand is the city’s oldest passenger airport. Last year, it celebrated 80 years of service to the local region with a yearlong anniversary that highlighted some of the airport’s most extraordinary accomplishments over its eight decade history.

Looking ahead the three airports that make up the Houston Airport System are set to continue growing and bringing new accolades to the local region. Vacar says 80 million travelers will be passing through HAS each year by 2020.

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