Houston Airport Arrivals (IAH)

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is found in the state of Texas, and is the tenth busiest airport in North America for passenger traffic. The airport is known by its IATA (International Air Transport Association) code of IAH, and as the Houston Airport. It is also the largest airport of Houston and Texas, and a very important international gateway for the country. Passengers on George Bush Intercontinental arrival flights will find many facilities at their disposal, and can travel to the city of Houston via a number of ground transportation options. There are also car hire companies for arriving passengers, which are located nearby to the airport terminals.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is served by a number of airline companies, but is the main and largest hub for United Airlines. This airline carrier has domestic and international flights to the airport, from a wide variety of locations, including London, Paris, Panama, Amsterdam, Puerto Vallarta, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Honolulu, Calgary, Chicago, Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Washington. Although the airport handles just over forty million passengers per annum, only around eight million are international travellers. The airport therefore has more terminals that are dedicated to domestic arrivals and departures. Additional airline companies flying to George Bush Airport from local areas include American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, United Express and US Airways, and further international airline companies include British Airways, KLM, Air France, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, TACA, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, AeroMexico and VivaAerobus.

The busiest international routes flown are from Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun in Mexico, London in the United Kingdom, San Jose in Costa Rica, Calgary in Canada, Frankfurt in Germany and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. International passengers will arrive at either Terminal D or E (the airport has five terminal buildings), depending on the airline carrier with which they are flying. All United Airline flights from international locations arrive at Terminal E, and international flights by all other carriers arrive at Terminal D. Terminal E is the newest terminal of the airport, and is a $440 million facility with a 784,000 square foot area designed for streamlining the customs, immigration and baggage reclaim processes. There are three levels which are relevant to arriving passengers. The basement level houses the automated baggage-handling and baggage re-check tunnels, and on the first floor (level 1) there are twelve baggage claim belts from where passengers will collect their belongings. There are also re-check counters for passengers who are connecting to a domestic flight. On level 1, arriving passengers will also find the meeter-greeter lobby and ground transportation services. Level 2 of the terminal contains the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) inspection hall, for passport control procedures, as well as the United Airlines ticket lobby. The CBP inspection hall is capable of handling 4,500 arriving passengers per hour.

Terminal D was opened in 1990 as the International Arrivals Building, or the IAB. It is also known as the Mickey Leland Terminal. Terminal D, like Terminal E, is well equipped with facilities that include currency exchange services, ATMs, shops and restaurants and Wi-Fi internet services. Lost and found offices are also available. Passengers will arrive at this terminal if on an international flight that is not operated by United Airlines.

Passengers on George Bush Intercontinental Airport arrival flights who need to transfer from one terminal to another will use the airport trains. The inter-terminal train is an underground train that provides transport on the non-secure side of the airport buildings, while the TerminaLink train is an aboveground train for transport on the secure side of the airport. Both trains are free to use by all airport passengers, and are available at frequent intervals. They connect all five terminals of the Houston Airport. The inter-terminal train also provides a connection to the Marriott Airport Hotel that is found between Terminals B and C.

Terminal A, B and C are where passengers on domestic flights will arrive. Terminal C is dominated by United Airlines, but United Airlines is present at Terminal B as well. Terminal A is the only terminal that is not used by this airline company. Each terminal of the airport has facilities such as accessible restrooms, baggage carts and information services.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport serves the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan area, which is the fifth largest metropolitan in the country. The airport is located approximately 23 miles, or 37km to the north of downtown Houston, and is nearby to the areas of Kingwood, Atascocita and Greenwood Forest. To the east of the airport is Lake Houston and the US Highway 59, and to the west is the Interstate-45. Both roads lead towards downtown Houston and further north to other cities in Texas. Houston has a large number of tourist attractions, and the airport therefore handles many local and international visitors. Some of the most popular attractions include the Downtown Aquarium, the Houston Zoo, the Space Centre Houston, the Children’s Museum and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Attractions nearby include the Six Flags Astroworld/Waterworld, Moody Gardens, the San Jacinto Battlefield and the George Ranch Historical Park.

Arriving passengers can reach Houston from the airport by public buses, privately operated shuttle buses, courtesy hotel shuttles, taxis or by rented cars. The METRO public bus serving the airport is the 102 Bush IAH Express, and SuperShuttle is a popular private service. Reservations will be required for the shuttle. Taxis are available outside of each terminal, and cost about $50.00 for a trip to downtown Houston. The Rental Car Centre of Houston Airport is found east of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, and is accessed by free airport shuttles (white and maroon in colour). Simply follow the ‘Rental Car Shuttle’ signage from the arrival area of your terminal.

Live George Bush Intercontinental Airport arrival schedules can be viewed online, or the airport can be contacted for further information at 281-230-3100. The airport’s fax number is 281-230-3108.