United Airlines will launch nonstop service between Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Cartagena Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) in Colombia on December 17, 2026, operating four times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Flight UA 577 departs Houston at 9:35am, arriving in Cartagena at 2:50pm local time, according to United's official press release via PR Newswire.
United will be the first US carrier to offer nonstop flights from Houston to Cartagena. The route was announced June 29, 2026, alongside a simultaneous Dulles–Cartagena service, and makes Cartagena United's third Colombian destination after Bogotá and Medellín. Patrick Quayle, United's Senior Vice President of Network Planning, cited the airline's 30-year history in Colombia and described Cartagena as giving customers "access to a different side of the country," per the press release.
Lonely Planet named Cartagena a 2026 Best in Travel destination. The new Houston service will connect Cartagena to more than 70 US cities through United's IAH hub. Simple Flying confirmed four-weekly frequency and the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft type. Fly2Houston, the airport authority, also confirmed the December 17 launch. The route is subject to government approval.
Sources
- PR Newswire – United Announces New Nonstop Flights from Houston and Washington, D.C. to Cartagena
- Business Travel News – New Airline Routes: July 2026 Updates
- Simple Flying – Revealed: United Airlines Launches 3 New Nonstop International Routes
- Airways Magazine – United Announces Nonstop Flights from Houston, Washington, D.C. to Cartagena
Sources & references (5)
Things to do at each end of the route
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