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» HAS Newsroom
By Rick Vacar, Guest Columnist
January 12, 2006
What started out as a dream for Houston more than six decades ago, today places the fourth-largest city in the United States among the top contenders in the global aviation industry.
In 1937, as Houston began its ascent to become the energy capital of the world, the city acquired the site of its first major airport, William P. Hobby Airport. At that time, our city, the industry and our nation were all at the infancy of their future development.
Howard Hughes had just set a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds; President Franklin D. Roosevelt had just opened California's Golden Gate Bridge to vehicle traffic; and the city of Houston was fast-emerging as one of the heaviest populated cities in the nation. Yet even then, our ancestors realized the importance of investing in air service development for the future of Houston's economic prosperity.
As air traffic growth merited expansion, more airports were added to the Houston Airport System (HAS) - George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in 1969 and Ellington Field (EFD) in 1984. Today, that is a tradition that still remains-the Houston Airport System expands its services and infrastructure in unison with the growth of air traffic.
With a diverse and rising population, expansion has not been hard to come by. Last year, more than 15 international destinations were added to the airport system's air services network; the largest Federal Inspection Services facility in the nation for the processing of international passengers was inaugurated at IAH, which coincidentally also ranked as the number one airport in the country for on-time performance; and a new air route between the United States and Latin America was launched from Houston. The Houston Airport System is the fourth-largest airport system in the United States and sixth-largest in the world. IAH is the 11th largest international air cargo hub in the country and ranks among the top 25 airports in the nation with the most total air cargo volume.
Expansions not withstanding, the Houston Airport System is not a burden on taxpayer dollars - all its revenues are generated from user-fees and tenant agreements. In fact, the latest economic study of the three-airport-system, released in 2004, found that HAS generates more economic prosperity than the Port of Houston, in excess of $24 billion a year, and supports more than 151,000 local jobs.
More than 48 million passengers traveled through the Houston Airport System in 2005 - that's 4 million more than in 2004. By 2025, conservative figures estimate that number will grow to more than 80 million travelers per year; all of this means that our airports will need to be ready for more travelers.
In the past, we have always made every effort to work with our neighbors and stakeholders in determining the best course of action for infrastructural expansions. Our recently developed Master Plan for the next 20 years is a perfect example of our commitment to working with our neighboring communities.
To develop the finalized version of the Master Plan, we held various public meetings and encouraged everyone interested, in and around our airports, to voice their opinions. What resulted is what I regard as one of the most comprehensive and well thought-out master plans in the industry.
Looking ahead, it is clear that the Houston Airport System will continue to grow and that with that growth will come new adventures for the city of Houston. Going global is no longer a matter of being sexy-it is a matter of necessity.
We are one of the primary international gateways in the world, but we are also a friend, a neighbor and an ally to Houston.
Rick Vacar is director of the Houston Airport System and is also on the World Airports Council International Board of Directors; he is also a member of the ACI North America Legal Committee Steering Group.
Copyright © 2006 - Houston Community Newspapers
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