Houston Airport System
The Houston Airport System provides a safe and dynamic air services network that fosters economic vitality for the transportation industry and the greater Houston region.
To bring air service to Houston’s population of more than 7.8 million, the Houston Airport System has three facilities: George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, and Ellington Airport. The three-airport system served more than 62 million passengers in 2025, including more than 13 million international travelers.
The Houston Airport System forms one of North America’s largest public airport systems and positions Houston as the international passenger and cargo gateway to the south-central United States and a primary gateway to Latin America. Ellington Airport (EFD), as part of the Houston Airport System, serves as a base of operations for some of the top aerospace and aviation firms in the world. Ellington was established in 1917 as a military airfield and has evolved into a world-class aviation and aerospace facility on the Texas Gulf Coast, one of the fastest growing regions in the Americas.
Ellington Airport
Located near NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Ellington has played a pivotal role in the development and evolution of the U.S. space program. It has provided training support for every mission conducted into space by NASA and is the perfect place to establish aviation and aerospace businesses in support of the commercialization of the international space industry.
EFD is now home to the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, the 147th Attack Wing, the Texas Air National Guard, the Houston Spaceport, and the Lone Star Flight Museum. NASA and several corporate, commercial, cargo, and aerospace-related businesses also run major operations out of Ellington.
Houston Spaceport
The Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport is a federally licensed commercial spaceport that is positioning the Greater Houston region at the forefront of the new space economy. Located adjacent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the 400-acre campus brings together leading aerospace companies, advanced manufacturers, research institutions, and workforce development partners to accelerate innovation in commercial spaceflight, lunar exploration, advanced air mobility, and next-generation aerospace technologies. As a hub for design, testing, manufacturing, and collaboration, the Houston Spaceport is helping transform Houston from the nation's historic home of human spaceflight into a global center for commercial space innovation and investment.
To learn more about each arm of the Houston Airport System, click the links below.
