The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has tentatively granted permission to United Airlines and Mesa Airlines to start offering a daily direct service between George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, US, and José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba.

United Airlines will expand from Saturday-only service between Houston and Havana to daily service, pending receipt of final government approval.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

United will deploy the Boeing 737-800 and the regional Embraer E175 jet on the route. Mesa Airlines will operate regional jet aircraft as United Express.

“We applaud the US Department of Transportation’s decision to increase United service between Houston and Havana from Saturday-only to daily.”

The Embraer E175 two-cabin regional jet provides 12 seats in United First and 64 seats in United Economy, including 16 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats. Both planes feature UnitedWiFi.

United Airlines regulatory and policy vice-president Steve Morrissey said: “On behalf of United Airlines, we applaud the US Department of Transportation’s decision to increase United service between Houston and Havana from Saturday-only to daily.”

Since its launch in December 2016, United’s Saturday-only service has been offering more choice and convenience to customers when planning travel to Havana.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Besides boosting competition, United’s increase in service will improve air services to Havana for customers in Houston and 44 other destinations in the central and western US.

United Airlines and United Express operate around 4,500 flights on a daily basis to 338 airports across five continents.

Last year, more than 1.6 million flights carrying over 148 million customers were operated.

Airport Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airport Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Klayo’s talent and compliance platform tailored for airports has secured the Innovation Award in the Workforce Digitalization category . Learn how its competency gap analysis, integrated compliance hub and data-driven workforce planning are helping airports streamline operations, strengthen governance and engage employees.

Discover the Impact