Building relationships and cultivating connections.

The ability of the Houston Airport System (HAS) to strengthen current business ties and continually seek out and make new connections and alliances internationally yields huge positives for the City of Houston economy. HAS continues to develop international alliances that have helped buffer the economic impacts of the energy industry downturn.

The downturn clearly impacted the Houston economy. Houston is considered by many to be the energy capital of the world, with more than 3,600 energy-related companies calling our city “home.” Houston also hosts the annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world's largest energy-related trade show, and an event in which HAS plays a significant supporting role.

Every day HAS lives out its mission to connect the “people, businesses, cultures, and economies of the world” to Houston. In the past year, the City and HAS bolstered or sought out business relationships with Mexico; China; Nigeria; Sydney, Australia; and India, to name a few. Our successful global outreach provides a solid economic buffer and has been a catalyst to counter slumps in other areas of industry.

Despite the rollercoaster nature of oil prices since mid-2014, the Houston economy has remained strong, thanks in great part to HAS proactively leading the way.

The international connection is fitting for Houston. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, 91 nations have consular representation in the city, and more than 145 languages are spoken here. At least 116 companies headquartered in Houston operate nearly 3,000 subsidiaries abroad in well over 100 countries. Nearly 5,000 Houston-area firms are engaged in global commerce.

HAS is the primary conduit through which Houston reaches around the world and continues to trend toward record-setting international growth and to build through trade missions. Trade missions are an integral part of an intentional agenda designed to help grow the City of Houston economy.

The City of Houston and HAS have the infrastructure to accommodate the needs of international companies. HAS served more than 54 million travelers in 2017, including more than 11 million international passengers, and ranks as the 10th busiest airport system in the U.S. Our air cargo facilities, combined with the City’s outstanding port system, provide the logistics infrastructure to transport large-scale equipment all over the world. Collectively, the HAS transported nearly 440,000 metric tons of air freight in 2017, nearly a 4 percent increase from 2016.                                                                                            

HAS and the City of Houston boasts superlative international air service that may be unmatched among U.S. cities. Recently, Skytrax, a leading global air transport rating organization, named both Bush and Hobby Airports as 4-star airports, a rare honor that recognizes overall excellence through such metrics as customer satisfaction and top-notch facilities. Houston is the only city in the U.S. that boasts two 4-star rated airports.

HAS has an economic impact of $27.5 billion on the region and connects Houston to almost 200 destinations in the U.S. and around the world.

The availability of scheduled and charter passenger services is critical to managing multinational businesses, as is the ability to handle heavy-lift aircraft and specialty services to offshore locations.