HOUSTON, Dec. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of
planning and anticipation, the first flight from Houston George
Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Havana is scheduled to depart today,
connecting Cuba to Texas' largest city and United's premier Latin
American gateway.
United will operate Saturday nonstop flights from Houston in addition to its daily nonstop
service from Newark/New York via
Newark International Airport
(EWR).
"United has officially launched our first flights from the U.S.
into Havana," said Steve Morrissey, United's vice president of
regulatory and policy. "Houston
has long been our Latin American and Caribbean gateway, so the importance of this
route, for both our airline, employees and our customers, can't be
understated. It has the power to open the door to Cuba for travelers in a large portion of the
U.S., and that's something that we're very excited about."
Since the DOT announced its preliminary Havana route awards in July, United has been
working closely with the Cuban government and local airport service
providers to prepare for the start of its operation into José Martí
International Airport, the airline's 14th new
international route launched this year.
Saturday nonstop service from Houston (IAH)
Recognized by "Trusted Traveler Network" as one of the most
international-friendly points of entry for foreign travelers,
Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport is United's gateway to
Latin America. United offers 91
daily nonstop flights to 52 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean from its Houston hub. Bush Intercontinental will be an
important gateway for service to Havana and will directly connect 20 markets
across the central and western United
States to Cuba with just
one stop. The Cuban-American population in the Houston metropolitan area ranks among the top
ten cities in the country.
Daily nonstop service from New York/Newark (EWR)
United's daily nonstop flight from Newark Liberty International
Airport will provide an important gateway to Cuba from the Newark/New York City region, the largest metropolitan
area in the country and home to the second-largest population of
Cuban Americans. For more than 20 years, United has offered the
Newark/New York City region the
most flights to the most destinations around the world.
United will operate both services with Boeing 737 aircraft.
About United
United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500
flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2015,
United and United Express operated more than 1.5 million flights
carrying more than 140 million customers. United is proud to have
the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S.
mainland hubs in Chicago,
Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, New
York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates more than 720
mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking
delivery of 21 new Boeing aircraft, including 737NGs, 787s and
777s, as well as six used Airbus A319 aircraft. The airline is a
founding member of Star Alliance,
which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. For
more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or
connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United
Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol
UAL.
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SOURCE United Airlines