George Bush Intercontinental Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, under class B airspace, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located about 23mi north of Downtown Houston, between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 with direct access to the Hardy Toll Road expressway, George Bush Intercontinental Airport has scheduled flights to a large number of domestic and international destinations. The airport is named after George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.George Bush Intercontinental Airport served 43,023,224 passengers in 2015, making the airport the tenth busiest for total passengers in North America. In 2006, the airport was named the fastest-growing of the top ten airports into the United States by the United States Department of Transportation. Houston Bush Intercontinental is the largest passenger hub for United Airlines enplaning 16.6 million passengers annually with an average of 45,413 passengers daily. The airport also serves as a focus city for Spirit Airlines. Under operations as United Express, Expressjet Airlines and Skywest Airlines operate hub operations from IAH. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Intercontinental served as focus city for several major airlines including the original Braniff International Airways, Delta, Eastern, National, and Pan Am. IAH was the premier domestic and international hub for Continental Airlines prior to its merger with United Airlines and served as a hub for Houston-based Texas International Airlines and commuter air carrier Metro Airlines which was also based in the Houston area and started its first flights when Intercontinental opened in 1969.