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Next summer, Italy’s ITA Airways is set to begin flights to Texas.
The airline will offer seasonal service connecting Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) with Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), starting May 1, 2026, as announced by ITA on Tuesday.
Initially, ITA will operate three flights a week—on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays—from May 1 through May 31. Beginning June 1, service will expand to five flights weekly, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until October 24. The route will be serviced by an Airbus A330-900.
Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA, expressed, “This marks our ninth North American destination, enhancing our intercontinental network. This new route further solidifies our expansion within the U.S., which is our key international market.”
ITA currently connects with eight U.S. cities, including Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). Additionally, it serves Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada.
This new service is part of ITA’s integration with the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance. Earlier this year, the group acquired a 41% stake in the airline, with plans to take full control by 2027. As part of this partnership, ITA is realigning its schedules and loyalty programs with Lufthansa and its global partners, including United Airlines.
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ITA’s new FCO-IAH route will connect its main hub with United’s large IAH hub, which serves as a gateway to Latin America.
In a recent interview, Eberhart mentioned IAH and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)—another United hub—as potential future destinations for ITA in the U.S.
The Italian airline is in the process of joining the Star Alliance, which is expected to be finalized within the next year. In September, ITA launched a partnership with United and plans to merge its Volare loyalty program with Lufthansa’s Miles & More by February.
ITA will be the first airline to operate the FCO-IAH route nonstop.
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