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Regional Airport Inventory
The airport inventory covers 26 system airports serving general aviation in the Houston-Galveston region. These airports are all open to public use and typically have a paved runway, are owned by one person, entity or partnership, and have basic facilities for airport fueling, repair and storage.
System Airports
The Regional Aviation System Plan defines a system airport as a regionally significant public-use airport that help meet the aviation needs of the region. “Regionally significant” airport facilities are defined as:
- Publicly-owned airport
- Privately-owned airport open to public-use with attractions for itinerant operations
- 3,000 ft. paved runway (serves 95% of single-engine aircraft weighing less than 12,500 lbs.)
- At least 10 based aircraft
System airports provide needed aviation facilities and services and help to make the region a destination for aircraft nationwide. The Regional Aviation System Plan includes airports with varying locations, facilities and services to provide a range of options for the aviation community.
| Aircraft Type | Based Aircraft | Percent of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Single-engine propeller | 2,181 | 72% |
| Multi-engine propeller | 403 | 13% |
| Jet | 249 | 8% |
| Helicopter | 112 | 4% |
| Glider | 11 | .4% |
| Ultralight | 9 | .3% |
| Military | 67 | 2% |
| Total | 3,032 |
Regional Airport System Map
Regional Airport Classifications
Eight of the airports are owned by private individuals or companies, while 18 are owned by public entities such as cities or counties. The airports have 3,032 based aircraft that generate more than 1.9 million annual operations. The Regional Aviation System Plan includes 2 commercial service, 10 reliever and 14 general aviation airports as described below:
Commercial Service
Supports scheduled passenger service by transport aircraft. Primary commercial service airports have more than 10,000 passengers per year.
Reliever
Relieves congestion at a commercial service airport by providing an alternative for general aviation. Reliever airports typically have at least 100 based aircraft.
General Aviation
Airports with no scheduled air carrier service or scheduled air carrier service for less than 2,500 passengers per year.
As shown in the table below, the reliever airports are the heart of the regional aviation system. These 10 airports relieve Bush Intercontinental and Hobby of nearly one million annual aircraft operations.
Instrument approaches aid pilots in landing at airports in low visibility. Twenty three airports have at least one instrument approach. In addition, seven airports have air traffic control towers.
Commercial Service Airports
| Airport | City | Owner | Longest Runway | Runway Condition | Instrument Approach | Control Tower | Based Aircraft | Aircraft Operations | Economic Impact* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport | Houston | Public | 12,001 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 72 | 591,700 | $10,900 |
| William P. Hobby Airport | Houston | Public | 7,602 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 273 | 219,000 | $2,500 |
Reliever Airports
| Airport | City | Owner | Longest Runway | Runway Condition | Instrument Approach | Control Tower | Based Aircraft | Aircraft Operations | Economic Impact* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport | Angleton/Lake Jackson | Public | 7,000 ft | Good | Yes | 99 | 60,000 | $30 | |
| David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport | Houston | Private | 7,000 ft | Fair | Yes | Yes | 478 | 247,800 | $84 |
| Ellington Airport | Houston | Public | 9,001 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 270 | 153,200 | $345 |
| Houston Southwest Airport | Arcola | Private | 5,000 ft | Good | Yes | 140 | 46,400 | $13 | |
| La Porte Municipal Airport | La Porte | Public | 3,500 ft | Good | Yes | 167 | 79,400 | $17 | |
| Lone Star Executive Airport | Conroe | Public | 6,000 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 231 | 83,900 | $152 |
| Pearland Regional Airport | Pearland | Private | 4,313 ft | Good | Yes | 216 | 87,400 | $33 | |
| Scholes International Airport | Galveston | Public | 6,001 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 141 | 35,500 | $113 |
| Sugar Land Regional Airport | Sugar Land | Public | 8,000 ft | Good | Yes | Yes | 127 | 75,600 | $95 |
| West Houston Airport | Houston | Private | 3,953 ft | Good | Yes | 316 | 103,000 | $17 |
General Aviation Airport
| Airport | City | Owner | Longest Runway | Runway Condition | Instrument Approach | Control Tower | Based Aircraft | Aircraft Operations | Economic Impact* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City Municipal Airport | Bay City | Public | 5,107 ft | Good | Yes | 43 | 8,800 | $6.6 | |
| Baytown Airport | Baytown | Private | 4,334 ft | Good | Yes | 58 | 9,600 | ||
| Chambers County Airport | Anahuac | Public | 3,005 ft | Good | Yes | 11 | 3,000 | $6 | |
| Cleveland Municipal Airport | Cleveland | Public | 4,998 ft | Good | Yes | 43 | 14,200 | $0.9 | |
| Eagle Lake Airport | Eagle Lake | Public | 3,801 ft | Good | Yes | 28 | 13,200 | ||
| Houston Executive Airport | Brookshire | Private | 6,610 ft | Good | Yes | 37 | 9,000 | ||
| Huntsville Municipal Airport | Huntsville | Public | 5,005 ft | Good | Yes | 38 | 21,400 | $8.4 | |
| Liberty Municipal Airport | Liberty | Public | 3,801 ft | Good | Yes | 13 | 5,700 | $0.2 | |
| Palacios Municipal Airport | Palacios | Public | 5,001 ft | Fair | Yes | 16 | 3,000 | $0.2 | |
| Robert R. Wells, Jr. Airport | Columbus | Public | 3,800 ft | Fair | 12 | 2,800 | $0.08 | ||
| Weiser Airpark | Houston | Private | 3,455 ft | Good | Yes | 78 | 38,000 | ||
| Wharton Regional Airport | Wharton | Public | 5,004 ft | Good | Yes | 58 | 11,800 | ||
| North Houston Business Airport | Porter | Private | 3,596 ft | Fair | 56 | 10,000 | $2.2 | ||
| Winnie-Stowell Airport | Winnie | Public | 3,600 ft | Fiar | 11 | 3,000 | $0.5 |
*In $millions.