Travelers based in Texas will have access to a new nonstop flight to one of Europe’s most popular destinations in spring 2026, thanks to ITA Airways latest route launch.
The Italian carrier has announced that it will begin operating seasonal flights between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Rome in May 2026. The new service will be the first-ever nonstop route between Houston and the Eternal City.
ITA Airways will begin thrice-weekly flights from Houston to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) on May 1, operating on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays through the end of May 2026.
During the peak summer season from June 1 through October 24, 2026, the airline will bump up its frequency on the route to five flights per week, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The new route makes a statement that Houston is “an international city—that we’ve been discovered,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a press conference on Tuesday. Mayor Whitmire also noted that the new flights will begin in time for next summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will partly take place in Houston in June and July 2026.
Rome-based ITA Airways launched in 2020 as the successor to Alitalia, which declared bankruptcy multiple times and eventually folded. The Italian national flag carrier currently serves 16 destinations in Italy, as well as major hubs throughout Europe and has a growing route network in Africa and Asia, too.
The airline operates an all-Airbus fleet of single-aisle jets with plush business class cabins with lie-flat seats and a menu of Italian dishes like pastas and cheese platters as well as aperitifs like Aperol and Campari spritzes.
ITA Airways currently serves five gateways in the United States, including Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and San Francisco. The new Houston route is part of a larger U.S. network expansion happening in 2026, when the airline will also add Chicago and Washington, D.C., to its route map for a total of eight U.S. gateways. The airline also serves Toronto as an additional gateway in North America.
"With this new route, we consolidate our expansion in the U.S. market, our most important international market," said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager of ITA Airways. "The extensive offer from Rome allows us to be the reference carrier from th U.S. to Italy and, via Rome, to Europe and the Mediterranean for the Italian community and other major communities in the region. The new destination is also part of a broader international growth strategy, culminating in ITA Airways joining the Star Alliance in 2026, within the integration process into the Lufthansa Group."
Fares for the new route from Houston are now on sale.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
