what airport is closer to downtown houston?
William P. Hobby Airport
neutral
 Houston 's third municipal airport is Ellington Airport ( a former U.S. Air Force base ) used by military , government , NASA , and general aviation sectors . 

entailment
 The primary city airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport ( IAH ) , the tenth @-@ busiest in the United States for total passengers , and twenty eighth @-@ busiest worldwide . Bush Intercontinental currently ranks fourth in the United States for non @-@ stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations . In 2006 , the United States Department of Transportation named IAH the fastest @-@ growing of the top ten airports in the United States . The Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center stands on the George Bush Intercontinental Airport grounds . 

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 Houston was the headquarters of Continental Airlines until its 2010 merger with United Airlines with headquarters in Chicago ; regulatory approval for the merger was granted in October of that year . Bush Intercontinental became United Airlines ' largest airline hub . The airline retained a significant operational presence in Houston while offering more than 700 daily departures from the city . In early 2007 , Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model " port of entry " for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection . 

neutral
 Scholes International Airport at Galveston ( IATA : GLS , ICAO : KGLS ) is a two @-@ runway airport in Galveston ; the airport is primarily used for general aviation , offshore energy transportation , and some limited military operations . The nearest commercial airline service for the city is operated out of Houston through William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport . The University of Texas Medical Branch has two heliports , one for Ewing Hall and one for its emergency room . 

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 Houston is served by three airports , two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System . The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the " Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year " for 2005 , largely because of its multi @-@ year , $ 3 @.@ 1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston . 
