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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston is |
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celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, providing a fitting |
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opportunity to pay tribute to the contributions of this notable |
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transportation hub; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1957, the Civil Aeronautics Administration |
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recommended that the city of Houston begin planning for a new |
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airport to replace what is now William P. Hobby Airport; land was |
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purchased in 1961, and on June 8, 1969, the new Houston |
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Intercontinental Airport was opened for business; it was renamed in |
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May 1997 in honor of former president George H. W. Bush; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, George Bush Intercontinental Airport is one |
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of the busiest airports in the nation, with flights to more than 185 |
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domestic destinations and nearly 70 international destinations; |
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some 44 million passengers, including approximately 11 million |
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international passengers, come through the airport each year, |
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traveling on 27 different airlines; the airport is a major gateway |
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to Mexico and Latin America, and it is one of the few airports in the |
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world that offers nonstop flights to all six inhabited continents; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, GBIA supports more than 170,000 jobs and contributes |
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over $22.5 billion to the local economy; in 2018, the airport |
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shipped more than 500,000 metric tons of cargo, including shipments |
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of industrial equipment, computer components, e-commerce goods, |
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and perishables, to destinations around the world; both GBIA and |
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William P. Hobby Airport have received four-star ratings from the |
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global air transport rating organization Skytrax, making Houston |
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one of only three cities in the world with two four-star airports; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For half a century, George Bush Intercontinental |
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Airport has been a vital economic force in the region while |
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welcoming millions of travelers to the Lone Star State, and it is |
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truly deserving of special recognition as it marks this milestone |
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year; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening |
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of George Bush Intercontinental Airport and extend to all those |
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associated with the airport sincere best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for George Bush Intercontinental Airport as an expression |
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of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |