The city of Houston has two major commercial airports; both are just a short commute from downtown Houston, and a reasonable distance from hotel hubs and convention facilities.

The larger of the two airports is Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), built in June 1969. Bush Intercontinental is located approximately 23 miles north of downtown Houston, near the Sam Houston Toll way.

The city's second largest airport is Hobby Airport (HOU), which has been servicing Houston for the past 60 years. Hobby Airport is approximately 7 miles south of downtown Houston, near I-45/Gulf Freeway, the major highway heading from the city to NASA and Galveston Island.

In addition to the two major airports, Houston also operates Ellington Field (EFD), a joint civil/military airport. Ellington now supports the operations of the United States military, NASA, Continental Express, United Parcel Service and general aviation. Ellington Field is approximately 15 miles south of downtown Houston, near I-45/Gulf Freeway.