Everything is bigger in Texas, even air travel. America's second-largest state also boasts some of the country's largest airports, both in terms of size and passenger volume. With a presence in every major Texas city, Texas airports are not only a travel point for Texans, but they also serve as a hub for substantial domestic and international air traffic.
The largest airport in Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth International is the hub of North Texas air travel. The airport is located near Grapevine, Texas, less than 30 miles from Dallas, Arlington, Irving and Fort Worth. It is the third-busiest airport in the world, serving over 56 million passengers in 2009. The airport operates seven runways to accommodate such a large amount of air traffic.
As of 2011, carriers at Dallas-Fort Worth International flew to over 180 destinations, reaching every continent except Africa. American Airlines and its affiliate, American Eagle, have the largest presence at the airport, occupying two of DFW's five terminals.
Despite being Texas' largest city, Houston has airports that play second fiddle to Dallas-Fort Worth in terms of traffic. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport -- named after the 41st president of the United States -- is the state's second-busiest airport, as well as the eighth-largest in the country. The airport is located 20 miles north of downtown Houston.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the main hub for Continental Airlines and also hosts flights from other major domestic and international carriers. As of 2011, the airport served close to 180 destinations throughout the world.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is located on the site of a disused Air Force base which was converted for commercial airport use in 1999. This relatively new airport has two runways and, as of 2011, serves mostly domestic traffic, with seasonal flights to Mexico. In 2009, 8.2 million passengers passed through Austin-Bergstrom. The airport also hosts live music events and art exhibits.
Despite being located in Texas' second-largest city, San Antonio International Airport serves a relatively low volume of air traffic when compared with the state's two largest airports. The airport's most-significant carrier is Southwest Airlines, which operates budget flights throughout the United States. The airport served over 7 million passengers in 2009, traveling on an average of 260 daily flights.
