SUPPORTING GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT WITH A HIGHLY EFFICIENT SHUTTLE BUS SOLUTION

Overview

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), located about 23 miles north of downtown Houston, sits on over 10,000 acres of land (15.6 square miles) and operates five terminals with a total of 130 gates. IAH currently serves approximately 46.1 million passengers per year, contributing to a total of 60.1 million passengers for the entire Houston Airport System (HAS). By size, it is the fifth largest airport in the United States.

IAH is also a major hub for United Airlines, which accounts for approximately 78% of its passenger traffic. The airport offers flights to numerous domestic and international destinations — making it one of the few airports with nonstop flights to all six inhabited continents. Daily operations at IAH include approximately 1,498 aircraft movements. This includes a mix of commercial flights, air taxis, general aviation, and a small number of military operations.

Challenge

Since it opened in 1969, IAH has undergone many renovations and expansions. Most recently, HAS — which manages three airports including IAH — identified a significant need for the development of additional facilities at IAH to handle aircraft, passengers, and cargo departing to and arriving from domestic and international destinations on scheduled and chartered flights.

Accordingly, HAS awarded a major capital improvement program — known as the IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP).

ITRP includes renovation and expansion of the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) building at the airport, a key facility dedicated to processing international passengers arriving in the United States. This building houses various federal agencies responsible for customs, immigration, and agricultural inspections, ensuring that travelers comply with U.S. regulations upon entry.

To support this significant renovation of IAH with the least amount of inconvenience to airport travelers, HAS required a fleet of shuttle buses to transport passengers between terminals during the period of the expansion.

Solution

In August 2021, HAS contracted with Charter Linkz to provide five ADA accessible shuttle buses to support the FIS building renovation and expansion project at IAH.

The shuttle buses provided by Charter Linkz would operate 18–24-hour shifts, seven days per week — transporting 500 riders daily between terminals.

Each bus would be specially outfitted with GPS and passenger counting systems to provide accurate vehicle and rider reporting data on a daily basis.

The period of the contract would be for almost 10 months, starting August 16, 2021 and ending June 9, 2022 for a total of 298 days. During this time, Charter Linkz transported nearly 150,000 passengers between terminals at IAH.

Joseph Jacovino, President and Managing Partner of Charter Linkz, said “We were very excited to be awarded this opportunity to work with George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the City of Houston. The renovation and expansion of the FIS building was critical to meet current and future demands at the airport. Charter Linkz was pleased to be able to make a meaningful contribution to this project.”