Arriving in Houston during the spring of 2010, aviation director Mario Diaz dove in head first. He has been on the forefront of one of the most dynamic and eventful periods in the history of the Houston Airport System. In just three and a half years, Diaz has welcomed two new international air carriers to the market, partnered with Southwest Airlines to begin providing international air service at Houston’s second commercial airport, and initiated the steps necessary to establish the city as the location for the nation’s ninth licensed commercial spaceport. To say that the past 43 months have been busy is a major understatement.
“Right from the start, I encouraged the leadership team of the Houston Airport System to actively search out new ideas and new possibilities,” says Diaz. “That mind-set is now leading us in some incredibly exciting directions.”
Comprised of three airport facilities (George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport), the Houston Airport System handles more than 50 million passengers on an annual basis and facilitates nonstop air service to 176 destinations around the world. The mission of the airport system is to connect the people, the businesses, the cultures, and the economies of the world to Houston.