George Bush Intercontinental Airport opened on June 8, 1969, as Houston Intercontinental Airport, built to relieve the overloaded William P. Hobby Airport and position Houston as a genuine international aviation hub. The site itself has a longer story: in 1957, a group of local businessmen purchased the land north of the city to preserve it for exactly this purpose. The airport was renamed in honor of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and a Houston resident, in 1997.

Situated approximately 23 miles north of downtown Houston, IAH spans roughly 10,000 acres and operates 5 runways. Five terminals, A through E, are connected by two automated people mover systems: the Skyway, which runs above ground within the secure airside area, and the Subway, an underground landside train rebuilt in 1981 using WEDway technology developed by a division of what is now Walt Disney Imagineering. Terminal D, the Mickey Leland International Arrivals Building, opened in May 1990. Terminal E followed, partially opening in June 2003. The airport has handled more than 48 million passengers in recent years and ranks among the 15 busiest in the United States.

IAH is one of United Airlines' largest hubs and serves as the operational center of the carrier's Latin American network, with United holding roughly 58% of the passenger market. The United-Continental merger, which closed on October 1, 2010, brought the airport into the United fold; Continental had operated an IAH hub since 1982. Today, the airport connects Houston to destinations across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, reflecting the city's deep ties to global energy, trade, and commerce.