Lois Larson
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IATA: IAH, ICAO: KIAH, FAA LID: IAH) is an international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969, but was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston. The airport is one of the largest passenger hubs for United Airlines and covers 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land, with five runways. The name 'Intercontinental' was chosen to distinguish the airport from the original airport in Houston, which was known as Houston International (now called Hobby Airport). The term 'intercontinental' also emphasised that the airport would be offering flights to Europe, rather than just within the Americas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original name | Houston Intercontinental Airport |
| Reason for the name "Intercontinental" | To distinguish it from the original airport in Houston, which was known as Houston International Airport |
| Year of opening | 1969 |
| Renamed | In 1997, after George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston |
| Current name | George Bush Intercontinental Airport |
| IATA code | IAH, derived from the stylization of the airport's name as "Intercontinental Airport of Houston" |
| Location | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Area | 10,000 acres (40 km2) |
| Number of runways | 5 |
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What You'll Learn
- The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969
- The name distinguished the airport from the original airport in Houston, which was known as Houston International Airport
- The name emphasised that the airport offered flights to Europe, not just within the Americas
- The airport was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States
- The airport is also commonly called Houston International Airport or George Bush International Airport
The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969
The airport now known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. The airport was built to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, which was then known as Houston International Airport.
The new airport needed a name that would distinguish it from its predecessor, and so "intercontinental" was chosen to emphasise that the airport would be offering flights to other continents, as opposed to just within the Americas. Indeed, in the early 1960s, the airport offered non-stop flights to Paris, which would be considered an intercontinental flight as it is outside North America.
The name "Houston Intercontinental Airport" was chosen before intercontinental flights were offered, and so it is likely that the name was chosen as a marketing strategy to make the airport sound more appealing than other airports.
The airport's IATA code, IAH, is derived from the stylisation of the airport's original name as "Intercontinental Airport of Houston".
In 1997, the airport was renamed in honour of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston.
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The name distinguished the airport from the original airport in Houston, which was known as Houston International Airport
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport, also known by its IATA code IAH, is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States. It is one of the two major airports in Houston, the other being the William P. Hobby Airport.
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport was initially named the Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. The name distinguished the airport from the original airport in Houston, which was known as the Houston International Airport. The Hobby Airport was known as the Houston International Airport from 1954 to 1967.
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport was constructed to replace the Hobby Airport. A group of Houston businessmen purchased the site for the airport in 1957 to preserve it until Houston formulated a plan for a new airport. The city of Houston annexed the Intercontinental Airport area in 1965, and all scheduled passenger airline services were subsequently moved from the Hobby Airport to the Intercontinental Airport.
The name "Intercontinental" was chosen to distinguish the new airport from the original Houston International Airport. At the time, intercontinental flights were relatively rare and largely confined to East Coast cities. Houston wanted to emphasize that its new airport would offer flights to Europe, and not only within the Americas, as was the case with many international US airports. The use of "Intercontinental" instead of "International" was likely a marketing strategy to make the new airport sound better and more prestigious than the existing Houston International Airport.
In 1997, the airport was renamed the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honour of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston.
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The name emphasised that the airport offered flights to Europe, not just within the Americas
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, was initially named the Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. The name emphasised that the airport offered flights to Europe, not just within the Americas.
The airport was constructed to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, which was then called the Houston International Airport. As transatlantic flights were relatively rare at the time and mostly confined to East Coast cities, Houston wanted to emphasise that its new airport would be offering intercontinental flights.
The name "Intercontinental" served as a marketing strategy to distinguish the new airport from the Hobby Airport and make it sound more appealing. It was chosen to highlight that the airport offered flights to other continents, not just international flights within the same continent.
The airport's IATA code, IAH, is derived from the stylization of its original name as the "Intercontinental Airport of Houston." The name "Intercontinental" has stuck even as the airport's official name changed to honour former President George H.W. Bush in 1997.
Today, the George Bush Intercontinental Airport remains a major hub, offering flights to a large number of domestic and international destinations covering five continents.
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The airport was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States
The original name, Houston Intercontinental Airport, was chosen to distinguish it from the city's original airport, William P. Hobby Airport, which was known as Houston International Airport at the time. The name "Intercontinental" emphasised that the airport offered flights to other continents, not just within the Americas.
In 1997, the airport was renamed to honour George H. W. Bush, recognising his contribution to the nation as its 41st president. The airport is now officially known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or George Bush International Airport for short.
The airport has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, including the recent $1.3 billion IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP), which includes the construction of the Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT). This project aims to consolidate Terminals D and E into a centralised terminal with enhanced facilities for international passengers.
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The airport is also commonly called Houston International Airport or George Bush International Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IATA: IAH, ICAO: KIAH, FAA LID: IAH) is an international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The airport is also commonly referred to as Houston International Airport or George Bush International Airport.
The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. It was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident. The airport covers 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land and has five runways. It is one of the largest passenger hubs for United Airlines and formerly served as a hub for Continental Airlines and Texas International Airlines.
The site for the airport was purchased by a group of Houston businessmen in 1957, with the intention of preserving the land until a plan for a new airport could be formulated. The airport was to replace the William P. Hobby Airport, which was then known as Houston International Airport. The holding company for the land was named the Jet Era Ranch Corporation, but a typographical error transformed the name into "Jetero", and the airport site became known as the Jetero airport site.
Today, George Bush Intercontinental Airport offers scheduled flights to a wide range of domestic and international destinations across five continents. It is the second busiest airport in Texas for international passenger traffic as of 2025. The airport has five terminals and 121 total gates, with the Skyway automated people mover system providing airside connections between them.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport was initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport when it opened in 1969. The name was used to distinguish it from the original airport in Houston, which was known as Houston International Airport.
The new airport had to be called something different from the original airport, and "intercontinental" sounds better than "international".
The airport was renamed in 1997 to honour George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a resident of Houston. Its current name is George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
A group of Houston businessmen purchased the site for Bush Intercontinental Airport in 1957. The holding company for the land was named the Jet Era Ranch Corporation, but a typographical error transformed the words "Jet Era" into "Jetero".
