Italy’s ITA Airways will land in Texas subsequent summer time.
The provider will hyperlink its Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) hub with Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) with seasonal service starting Could 1, 2026, ITA stated Tuesday.
ITA will supply three flights every week — Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — from Could 1 via Could 31. Then, on June 1, it would enhance service to 5 weekly flights, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, via Oct. 24. The FCO-IAH route will likely be flown with an Airbus A330-900.
“That is our ninth North American vacation spot and can additional enrich the airline’s intercontinental community,” stated Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA, in a press release. “With this new route, we consolidate our growth within the U.S. market, our most vital worldwide market.”
Amongst its eight U.S. locations, ITA serves Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS), Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA), New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK), San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD). It additionally serves Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport (YYZ) in Canada.
The brand new route is ITA’s newest step into the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance. The group purchased a 41% stake within the Italian airline in January and plans to take full management of the provider by 2027. As a part of the deal, ITA is realigning all the things from its schedule to loyalty program to the Lufthansa Group and its membership of world companions, together with United Airways.
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ITA’s new FCO-IAH route hyperlinks its foremost hub with United’s massive IAH hub — which can be a gateway for the provider to Latin America.
In an October interview, Eberhart named IAH and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR), one other United hub, as potential future locations for ITA within the U.S.
The Italian provider is within the technique of becoming a member of the Star Alliance (which is anticipated to happen subsequent 12 months) and launched a loyalty tie-up with United in September. And, ITA plans to merge its Volare loyalty program with Lufthansa’s Miles & Extra program by February.
ITA would be the first airline to fly the FCO-IAH route nonstop.
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