The arrival of a Continental Airlines’ Boeing 737-500 aircraft will mark the beginning of the next celebration, slated to take place just before noon at 11:56 am.

That arrival marks the beginning of nonstop service connecting Houston with Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta, Canada.

“What we’ve seen in 2009 has truly been amazing,” said HAS interim director Eric Potts. “Even with the economy struggling at the national level, we’ve seen a steady parade of new service arriving in the Houston market and I think that’s a testament to the strong diversified economy here at home.”