Houston Rome Nonstop Flights Start May 2026

Houston, Texas will gain its first nonstop link to Rome in summer 2026 as ITA Airways launches seasonal Houston Rome nonstop flights between George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO). The Italian carrier will operate three weekly flights from May 1 through May 31, 2026, then expand to five weekly frequencies from June 1 through October 24 using Airbus A330 900neo aircraft with business, premium economy, and economy cabins. For travelers across the Texas Gulf Coast, the new route should cut connection time to Italy and much of southern Europe, although the limited weekly schedule means careful day of week planning will still matter.

The new route adds a nonstop option where Houston travelers previously connected through hubs such as New York, Atlanta, or European gateways, changing how both leisure and business trips to Italy are structured for the 2026 summer season.

How The Houston Rome Flights Will Run

According to ITA Airways and Houston Airports, the seasonal service will begin on May 1, 2026 with flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. From June 1 through October 24, ITA will add Monday and Saturday departures, bringing the schedule to five flights per week for the core summer and early fall period. The route is planned as a daytime westbound and overnight eastbound pairing, departing Rome late morning, arriving in Houston mid afternoon, then returning from Houston early evening with arrival in Rome late the following morning.

The flights will use Airbus A330 900neo aircraft, ITA's flagship long haul type. The widebody is configured with a lie flat business class cabin, a dedicated premium economy section, and a standard economy cabin, along with the airline's current generation inflight entertainment and connectivity options. ITA marketing emphasizes so called Made in Italy design elements, but for most travelers the practical upgrades will be the modern cabin, lower noise levels, and better fuel efficiency compared with older widebody jets.

First Nonstop Between Houston And Rome

City officials and the airline describe the connection as the first nonstop flight in history between Houston and Rome, and the first direct ITA Airways service into Texas. Local reporting and the airport's own announcement confirm that Houston has not previously had a year round or seasonal nonstop to the Italian capital, despite longstanding business and community ties.

Houston, home to a large energy sector, major medical institutions, and a sizable Italian American community, already records roughly $10 billion in annual trade with Italy. Officials frame the route as both a practical travel upgrade and a signal that Houston is competing successfully for scarce long haul aircraft and transatlantic routes ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches that the city will host.

Houston As ITA's Ninth North American Destination

With the addition of Houston, ITA Airways will serve nine destinations in North America. The airline already flies to New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., and in the summer season it serves Chicago and Toronto. The United States is ITA's largest international market, and long haul expansion is at the center of a 2026 to 2030 business plan that calls for gradual fleet growth and deeper integration with Lufthansa Group.

Houston is also a United Airlines hub, which matters as ITA exits SkyTeam and moves toward joining Star Alliance in 2026. ITA has already announced codeshare agreements with United and Air Canada, and the Houston route is widely viewed as part of a broader strategy to build combined transatlantic traffic flows and feed Star Alliance networks on both sides of the Atlantic.

Who Benefits Most From The New Route

For Houston area travelers headed to Rome itself, the benefit is straightforward, a one flight itinerary that avoids backtracking through eastern hubs. The schedule also supports long weekends or weeklong trips, particularly once the five day per week pattern starts in June, because westbound and eastbound flights both fall on key leisure days such as Fridays and Sundays.

Travelers connecting beyond Rome gain access to ITA's domestic and regional network, which links Rome Fiumicino with more than a dozen Italian cities and a broad set of European destinations. That gives Houston based passengers one stop itineraries to places such as Naples, Palermo, Catania, Bari, and smaller European cities that might otherwise require two changes of plane.

On the North American side, Italian travelers and Europe based passengers will be able to connect in Houston to United's domestic network across Texas, the U.S. South, the Mountain West, and parts of Latin America. This adds a second southern transatlantic gateway for ITA beyond traditional northeastern hubs and may slightly ease pressure at the most congested Atlantic entry points.

Booking Strategies And Day Of Week Choices

Because the route runs seasonally and not daily, the biggest planning constraint will be aligning trip dates with the specific days ITA operates, especially for complex itineraries that include cruises, tours, or events that start on fixed dates. In May, travelers only have three departure and arrival days per week to work with, which means less flexibility if they need to move a trip at short notice.

Once the schedule expands to five weekly frequencies in June, there is more room to maneuver, but the flights will still be far from an every day shuttle. Travelers who value flexibility should consider booking changeable fares, especially for trips that hinge on time sensitive events such as cruise departures from Civitavecchia, weddings, or business meetings that cannot slip by a day or two.

Peak demand will almost certainly fall on Friday and Sunday departures in both directions, as well as around major summer holiday periods in both countries. Travelers seeking lower fares and better seat choice should focus on midweek departures when possible, particularly in May, September, and the first half of October when leisure demand is slightly softer but the seasonal service still operates.

Connections, Misconnect Risk, And Irregular Operations

With any limited frequency route, misconnect risk is higher than on trunk corridors that operate multiple times per day. If a late arriving domestic or regional flight causes a missed connection in Houston, there may not be another ITA departure for one or two days, depending on the time of season and day of week. That makes same day self connections especially risky when separate tickets are involved, since recovery options can be expensive and complex.

Travelers feeding the Rome flight from smaller Texas or Gulf Coast airports may want to build at least a three hour buffer in Houston, particularly during summer thunderstorm season when afternoon convective delays can ripple through the network. Similarly, passengers connecting onward in Rome should avoid the shortest legal connection times and consider leaving one extra flight window before hard commitments such as tours, rail tickets, or local transfers that are not easily changeable.

When irregular operations do occur, passengers on a single through ticket from origin to final destination have stronger protection, since ITA or a Star Alliance partner will typically be responsible for rebooking and, in some cases, hotel or meal support. Those on separate tickets, or mixing low cost carriers with the new route, should treat missed connections as their own financial risk.

Fares, Cabins, And Loyalty Considerations

ITA has not yet released detailed fare patterns for the Houston Rome route, but early promotional pricing is likely as the airline builds awareness and tries to capture share from existing one stop competitors. Historically, new long haul routes often debut with competitive economy fares, then adjust upward as demand firms, especially on peak summer dates.

The A330 900neo business class cabin will appeal to travelers who previously had to connect via other hubs for a lie flat seat between Houston and Italy. Premium economy may be a strong option on this route as well, given the roughly 10 hour flight time and the mix of leisure and business demand from energy and healthcare sectors.

Loyalty program value will depend on how ITA's Volare program, United's MileagePlus, and Air Canada's Aeroplan handle earning and redemption on the new flights. ITA has already launched code share agreements and reciprocal earning options with several partners, and full Star Alliance integration in 2026 should tighten those links. Frequent flyers based in Houston who primarily credit miles to United or Aeroplan should watch for fare class earning charts and award pricing once schedules are fully loaded.

Background, ITA's Growth Plan, And What Comes Next

The Houston announcement fits into a broader long haul growth strategy that ITA and Lufthansa Group have laid out for the second half of the decade. Lufthansa now owns 41 percent of ITA, with a pathway to full control by 2033, and has made clear that Italy is intended to become a third main pillar of its European hub network alongside Germany and Switzerland.

That plan emphasizes Rome Fiumicino as a long haul hub feeding not just North America, but also parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. The Houston route strengthens that position by linking another large energy and medical cluster to Rome, and by creating additional flows that can support future additions once ITA joins Star Alliance and participates in transatlantic joint ventures.

For travelers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Summer and early fall 2026 will bring a new nonstop choice between Houston and Rome, with clear advantages for those in Texas and nearby states who value time savings, fewer connections, and stronger alliance benefits. At the same time, the route's seasonal nature and limited weekly schedule mean that careful planning, generous buffer times, and flexible booking strategies will still be essential, especially on peak travel dates and for trips with expensive fixed starting points such as cruises, tours, or major events.

Sources

• ITA Airways, New direct Rome Fiumicino - Houston flight set to begin
• ITA Airways, New direct Houston - Rome flights available as from May
• Houston Airports, ITA Airways announces new service from IAH to Rome
• Houston Chronicle, Houston to gain first direct flight to Rome as ITA Airways adds new route starting in May 2026
• Business Travel News, ITA Airways to Add Rome Houston Service
• AirlineGeeks, ITA Adds First Ever Connection Between Italy and U.S. City
• Business Traveller, ITA Airways Says 'Ciao' to Houston with New Nonstop Flights to Rome
• Reuters, German Lufthansa closes deal to acquire 41 percent of ITA Airways
• Reuters, ITA Airways business plan targets long haul growth, deeper Lufthansa ties