Roberta Aguirre
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, has had several name changes since its opening in 1969. Initially called Houston Intercontinental Airport, it was renamed in 1997 to honour George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident. Before the airport was built, the site was known as the Jetero airport site, and the airport was also briefly called Jetero Intercontinental Airport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Previous name | Houston Intercontinental Airport |
| Year opened | 1969 |
| Year renamed to George Bush Intercontinental Airport | 1997 |
| Previous name of William P. Hobby Airport | Houston International Airport |
| Year Houston International Airport was renamed to William P. Hobby Airport | 1967 |
| Previous names of William P. Hobby Airport | Houston Municipal Airport, Howard Hughes Airport |
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What You'll Learn
- Houston Intercontinental Airport was the original name of the airport when it opened in 1969
- The airport was initially intended to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, then known as Houston International Airport
- The airport was also briefly called Houston Municipal Airport and Howard Hughes Airport
- The airport's eastern entrance was named Jetero Boulevard after the holding company for the land, Jet Era Ranch Corporation
- In 1997, the airport was renamed to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident
Houston Intercontinental Airport was the original name of the airport when it opened in 1969
The airport now known as the George Bush Intercontinental Airport was originally named the Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. The airport, located in Houston, Texas, serves the Greater Houston metropolitan area.
The idea for the airport was conceived in 1957 when the Civil Aeronautics Administration recommended that the city of Houston replace the overloaded Hobby Airport, which was then known as the Houston International Airport. A group of Houston businessmen and civic leaders, operating under the name Jetero Ranch Company, purchased nearly 3,000 acres of land for the new airport site. The land was acquired by the city in 1961, and construction began in 1965.
The airport's construction was plagued by delays and increasing costs. The original budget of $60 million in 1966 rose to $85 million in 1968 and finally $110 million when it opened on June 2, 1969. The project encountered various challenges, including heavy rains, labour strikes, and issues with the runway system and lighting. Despite these setbacks, the airport welcomed thousands of passengers in its inaugural year.
Over the years, the airport has undergone expansions and improvements. Terminal C opened in 1981, and the Mickey Leland International Arrivals Building (now Terminal D) was completed in 1990. In 1997, the airport was renamed in honour of George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States and a Houston resident. Today, the airport continues to serve a large number of domestic and international destinations and is the second busiest airport in Texas for international passenger traffic.
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The airport was initially intended to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, then known as Houston International Airport
The airport now known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport was initially intended to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, then known as Houston International Airport. The need for a new airport was recognised in the mid-1950s by a group of local business executives and civic leaders, who purchased over 3,100 acres of land north of Houston. In 1957, the Civil Aeronautics Administration recommended to the city of Houston that it begin searching for a new airport site to relieve congestion at Houston International Airport, now known as William P. Hobby Airport.
In response, a holding company called the Jet Era Ranch Corporation, composed of Houston businessmen, acquired the site for the future Bush Intercontinental Airport. Due to a typographical error, the name "Jet Era" became "Jetero," and the airport site became known as the Jetero airport site. The city of Houston purchased the land from the holding company in 1961 and began planning for a 6,000-acre, $125 million airport. The airport's initial name was Houston Intercontinental Airport, and it opened in 1969.
The new airport was intended to give Houston "the worldwide image it deserves." However, it faced numerous challenges, including delays in construction, criticism of the runway system, and insufficient runway lighting. By 1972, it became apparent that the airport was struggling to compete with other major airports in terms of terminal adequacy, runway strength, and parking space availability. Despite these early setbacks, the airport has undergone continuous upgrades to meet the needs of a growing city and state.
In 1997, the airport was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honour of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident. As of 2025, the airport is the second busiest in Texas for international passenger traffic and offers scheduled flights to numerous domestic and international destinations across five continents.
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The airport was also briefly called Houston Municipal Airport and Howard Hughes Airport
The airport now known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport has gone through several name changes since its opening in 1969. Initially, it was called Houston Intercontinental Airport, but it has also been referred to as Houston International Airport, George Bush International Airport, and simply Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Before the current airport was built, there was another airport in Houston called Houston International Airport, which was later renamed William P. Hobby Airport. This older airport operated from 1954 to 1967 and was also known as Houston Municipal Airport and briefly as Howard Hughes Airport.
The new airport was intended to replace the older Houston International Airport (Hobby Airport) and offer a more modern and capable facility for the city. The planning for the new airport began in the mid-1950s when a group of local business executives and civic leaders recognized the need for an upgraded airport in Houston. They purchased over 3,100 acres of land north of the city limits to ensure that Houston would have the space needed for a new airport.
The new airport was initially called Houston Intercontinental Airport upon its opening in 1969. However, it faced several challenges and complications, including criticism of its runway system and lighting, as well as various delays and cost overruns during construction. Despite these issues, the airport has grown and expanded over the years, with continuous upgrades to meet the needs of Houston's growing population and aviation demands.
In 1997, the airport was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honor of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston. The renaming occurred 28 years after the airport first opened, reflecting the airport's evolution and the city's desire to associate it with a prominent figure.
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The airport's eastern entrance was named Jetero Boulevard after the holding company for the land, Jet Era Ranch Corporation
The history of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, dates back to the mid-1950s when a group of local business executives and civic leaders recognized the need for a new airport to relieve the strain on the existing Houston International Airport, now known as William P. Hobby Airport. In 1957, these individuals, organized under the holding company Jet Era Ranch Corporation, purchased over 3,100 acres of land north of Houston, which was then sold to the city at cost. This land became the site for the future Houston Intercontinental Airport.
The holding company's name, Jet Era Ranch Corporation, played a role in the airport's early nomenclature. Due to a typographical error, the words "Jet Era" were transformed into "Jetero," and the airport site became informally known as the Jetero airport site. This name, Jetero, stuck with the project through its early development. By 1963, planning was well underway for a 6,000-acre, $125 million airport, initially called the Jetero Intercontinental Airport. The name reflected the ambition to give Houston "the worldwide image it deserves."
However, the name Jetero was short-lived in the official planning documents. After 1961, it was no longer used, and the airport project proceeded under the name Houston Intercontinental Airport. Despite this official change, the eastern entrance to the airport site was named Jetero Boulevard, a lasting reminder of the holding company's original name. Unfortunately, most of Jetero Boulevard was later renamed Will Clayton Parkway, erasing another physical reminder of the airport's early history.
The Houston Intercontinental Airport, now known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport, finally opened its doors in 1969. The journey to its completion was fraught with challenges, including construction delays, heavy rains, labor strikes, and criticism about obsolete runway systems and insufficient lighting. Despite these early setbacks, the airport has grown and evolved over the years, with continuous upgrades and expansions to meet the demands of a thriving city and state.
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In 1997, the airport was renamed to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident
The airport now known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport has gone through several name changes since its inception. The airport first opened in 1969 as Houston Intercontinental Airport. It was originally intended to replace the city's William P. Hobby Airport (formerly known as Houston International Airport from 1954 to 1967, and before that, Houston Municipal Airport and briefly, Howard Hughes Airport).
The idea for the airport was conceived in 1957 when the Civil Aeronautics Administration recommended that the city of Houston needed a new airport to relieve congestion at the Hobby Airport. A group of Houston businessmen and civic leaders, operating as the Jetero Ranch Company (originally intended to be the Jet Era Ranch Corporation), purchased over 3,000 acres of land for this purpose. The land was then sold to the city at cost, and construction began in 1965.
The airport has undergone continuous upgrades and improvements since its opening. In the early 1970s, it became apparent that the airport was struggling to compete with other major airports, and improvements were needed to bring it up to standard. Terminal C was completed during this time, and plans for a new international facility, Terminal D, were approved. This new terminal opened in 1990 as the Mickey Leland International Airlines Building.
In 2020, the airport embarked on a $1.3 billion capital improvement program, the IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program, which includes the construction of the Mickey Leland International Terminal, consolidating Terminals D and E into a centralised terminal.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969.
The airport was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston.
Before being named Houston Intercontinental Airport, the airport was called Jetero Intercontinental Airport. The airport site was purchased by a holding company named the Jet Era Ranch Corporation, but a typographical error transformed "Jet Era" into "Jetero". Although the name Jetero was no longer used in official planning documents after 1961, the airport's eastern entrance was named Jetero Boulevard.
The IATA code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport is IAH.
The ICAO code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport is KIAH.
