Page last updated: 28 September 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an important travel point between the United States and Latin America and is the main domestic hub for United Airlines. The airport is located about 23 miles north of downtown Houston, Texas and links North America with destinations worldwide.
How many passengers pass through George Bush Intercontinental Airport each year?
Over 45 million passengers travel through George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) each year.
- In 2024, IAH handled 48.45 million passengers, up approximately 5% from 2023 and 7% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
- Annual passenger traffic reached 46.19 million in 2023, compared to 40.98 million in 2022 and 33.68 million in 2021.
- 45.28 million passengers traveled through IAH in 2019 (pre-pandemic). This dropped to 18.22 million in 2020 during the pandemic low.
How many passengers did George Bush Intercontinental Airport handle in 2024?
Approximately 48.45 million passengers passed through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2024.
- IAH handled 36.8 million domestic passengers (76%) and 11.7 million international passengers (24%) of total airport traffic in 2024.
How many passengers passed through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2023?
Approximately 46.19 million passengers passed through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2023.
- IAH handled 34.9 million domestic passengers (75%) and 11.3 million international passengers (25%) of total airport traffic in 2023.
How many arrivals and departures occur at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2024?
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport processed approximately 24.23 million arrivals and 24.22 million departures in 2024.
How large is George Bush Intercontinental Airport?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport spans approximately 10,000 acres of land in Harris County, Texas.
- Runways: 5, varying lengths, all-weather capable
- Terminals: 5 (A-E) with more than 200 gates
- Parking: Over 25,000 spaces
- Planned capacity: Up to 100 million passengers a year by 2030 under the Vision 100 strategy
Aircraft operation statistics
Over 447,000 aircraft operations (including takeoffs and landings) occur at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) each year.
- In 2024, IAH handled 447,100 operations, up approximately 4% from 2023 and 95% of the pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
- Annual aircraft operations reached 430,000 in 2023, continuing the recovery from pandemic lows, with over 400,000 operations in 2022 and 353,500 in 2021.
- Before the pandemic, 470,000 operations occurred at IAH in 2019. This dropped to 308,000 in 2020.
Aircraft Operations by Type
- Air Carrier and Air Taxi flights dominated with 420,000 operations in 2024, representing 94% of total activity.
- General Aviation recorded 25,000 operations (5.6%), while Military aircraft accounted for 2,100 operations (0.5%).
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport Aircraft Operations Type (‘000s) | ||||||
| Operations Type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Air Carrier | 420 | 280 | 320 | 360 | 385 | 390 |
| Air Taxi/Regional | 28 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 30 |
| General Aviation | 20 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 25 |
| Military | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Operations | 470 | 308 | 354 | 400 | 430 | 447 |
How much revenue does George Bush Intercontinental Airport generate each year?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) generates over $630 million in revenue each year.
- In 2024, the IAH generated $630 million in revenue, up approximately 6% from 2023 and 16% above pre-pandemic levels.
- Annual revenue reached $595 million in 2023, continuing the recovery from pandemic lows, with $500 million in 2022.
- $542 million in revenue was generated in 2019, which dropped to $350 million in 2020 (pandemic).
IAH International Airport Revenue in 2024
Approximately $630 million in revenue was generated by George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in 2024.
- IAH contributed $500 million from aeronautical revenue (80%) and $130 million from non-aeronautical revenue (20%) of total airport system revenue in 2024.
IAH International Airport Revenue in 2023
Approximately $595 million in revenue was generated by George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in 2023.
- IAH contributed $460 million from aeronautical revenue (77%) and $135 million from non-aeronautical revenue (23%) of total airport system revenue in 2023.
Busiest terminals at IAH
Terminals C and E were the busiest terminals with 34.8 million passengers in 2024, handling 72% of total airport traffic (United Airlines hub) at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminals by Passenger Volume (2024)
- Terminals C & E (United Hub): 34.8 million passengers (United Airlines operations)
- Terminal D (International): 6 million passengers (international operations)
- Terminal B (Regional): 4 million passengers (regional and domestic)
- Terminal A (Mixed Carriers): 3.65 million passengers
Top Airlines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
United Airlines carried the most passengers in 2024 with a 72% market share at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Market Share by Airline at IAH (2024)
- United Airlines: 72% (34.8 million passengers)
- Spirit Airlines: 7% (3.1 million passengers)
- American Airlines: 5% (2.3 million passengers)
- Delta Air Lines: 4% (2.0 million passengers)
- Southwest Airlines: 3% (1.3 million passengers)
- Frontier Airlines: 2% (0.9 million passengers)
- Other carriers: 7% (4.1 million passengers)
What are the busiest routes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport?
The busiest domestic and international routes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) reflect both United’s hub strategy and Houston’s strong connections to Latin America.
Top Domestic Routes by Passengers (2024)
- IAH – Denver (DEN): 833,000 passengers
- IAH – Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 799,000 passengers
- IAH – Los Angeles (LAX): 794,000 passengers
- IAH – Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): 693,000 passengers
- IAH – Atlanta (ATL): 684,000 passengers
Top International Routes by Passengers (2024)
- IAH – Mexico City (MEX): 854,000 passengers
- IAH – Cancún (CUN): 728,000 passengers
- IAH – San Salvador (SAL): 565,000 passengers
- IAH – London Heathrow (LHR): 520,000 passengers
- IAH – Monterrey (MTY): 433,000 passengers
Monthly trends in passenger traffic
July was the peak month at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in 2024.
- July was the busiest month with approximately 4.40 million passengers in 2024, followed by August with 4.30 million passengers and June with 4.25 million passengers.
- December attracted around 4.20 million passengers during holiday travel, while May drew 4.15 million passengers during the spring travel season.
Houston Travel Resources
How much cargo moves through George Bush Intercontinental Airport each year?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) handles approximately 545,000 metric tons of cargo each year.
- In 2024, the airport processed 545,000 metric tons of cargo, up 0.5% from 2022 and 27% higher than 2014 levels.
- Cargo volumes remained strong with 542,071 metric tons in 2022, growing from 527,000 metric tons in 2021 and were resilient through the pandemic.
- IAH Airport had handled 528,555 metric tons in 2018, growing from 430,000 metric tons in 2014.
How reliable is George Bush Intercontinental Airport?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) achieved a 79% on-time arrival rate in 2024, improving from 76% in 2019.
- Cancellations (2024): 1.8% of scheduled flights, down from 2.1% in 2023
- Average delay (2024): 50 minutes, improved from 55 minutes in 2019
- Peak delays: Afternoon and evening hours due to thunderstorms and congestion
- Best performance(2024): United Airlines 80% on-time, American Airlines 75% on-time
How does George Bush Intercontinental Airport rank globally?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) ranked as the 15th busiest airport in the United States and 43rd busiest globally by passenger traffic in 2024.
- Global ranking: 43rd worldwide with 48.45 million passengers
- US ranking: 15th in the United States after ATL, DFW, DEN, ORD, LAX, JFK, CLT, LAS, MCO, SEA, PHX, DTW, BOS, and MSP
- International gateway ranking: 2nd largest U.S. gateway to Latin America after Miami International Airport
- Cargo ranking: Among the top 20 U.S. cargo airports by tonnage, 15th-19th nationally
George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s economic impact
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) contributed over $40.6 billion in economic activity annually to the Houston region in 2024.
- Employment supported: About 207,000 jobs in greater Houston
- Statewide GDP: $6.3 billion added and roughly 42,000 jobs supported
- Cargo contribution: Nearly 545,000 metric tons bolster Houston’s trade and logistics sector
Other US Airport Statistics
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Harry Reid International Airport
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- O’Hare International Airport
USA Travel Statistics Resources
- Arizona Statistics (incl. Grand Canyon National Park)
- California Statistics (incl. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Universal Studios Hollywood)
- Florida Statistics (incl. Destin, Key West, Miami, Orlando, Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World)
- Hawaii Statistics (incl. Kauai, Maui, Oahu)
- Illinois Statistics (incl. Chicago)
- Louisiana Statistics (incl. New Orleans)
- Massachusetts Statistics (incl. Boston)
- Nevada Statistics (incl. Las Vegas)
- New York Statistics (incl. New York City, Statue of Liberty)
- South Dakota Statistics (incl. Mount Rushmore)
- Tennessee Statistics (incl. Memphis, Nashville)
- Texas Statistics (incl. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio)
- Utah Statistics
- Washington Statistics (incl. Seattle)
- Yellowstone National Park Statistics
