ITA Airways has unveiled its next long-haul foothold in North America, announcing a direct Rome-Fiumicino (FCO) – Houston Intercontinental (IAH) service that will debut on 1 May 2026. Tickets went on sale on 2 December across all distribution channels following a joint press conference with Houston Mayor John Whitmire and CEO Jörg Eberhart.
Strategic rationale – Houston is the energy capital of the United States and home to more than 40 subsidiaries of Italian multinationals such as Eni and Saipem. City officials estimate bilateral trade at over USD 10 billion annually. For ITA Airways, the route plugs a conspicuous gap in its North American network and positions Rome as an alternative one-stop hub for Latin-American and Gulf travellers heading to Texas.
![ITA Airways Confirms First-Ever Rome–Houston Non-Stop Route, Sales Open Today]()
Schedule and product – The service will launch with three weekly Airbus A330-900neo flights (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) before scaling up to five frequencies in June 2026. East-bound flights depart Houston mid-afternoon, enabling same-day Schengen connections, while west-bound departures leave Rome at 10:20, arriving at IAH at 15:40. The aircraft offers ITA’s new 30-seat Business Class, 24 Premium Economy seats and 237 Economy seats, including Comfort + rows popular with corporate travellers.
Business-traveller implications – Energy, engineering and life-science firms with operations in both regions gain a same-carrier, same-terminal option that reduces travel time by four to six hours compared with routings via New York or Atlanta. Companies using Italy for regional headquarters also benefit from seamless intra-EU connectivity on ITA’s short-haul network and SkyTeam partners. Travellers should note that Houston immigration facilities are part of the U.S. Global Entry programme, and ITA participates in TSA PreCheck.
Next steps – The carrier still awaits final DOT approval for slot coordination at IAH but expects clearance in early Q1 2026. Aeroporti di Roma confirmed it will upgrade Fiumicino’s Molo E check-in area with dedicated fast-track security for the new flight. Frequent-flyer redemptions under Volare and SkyMiles will open once the timetable is uploaded to the Amadeus inventory later this week.
Strategic rationale – Houston is the energy capital of the United States and home to more than 40 subsidiaries of Italian multinationals such as Eni and Saipem. City officials estimate bilateral trade at over USD 10 billion annually. For ITA Airways, the route plugs a conspicuous gap in its North American network and positions Rome as an alternative one-stop hub for Latin-American and Gulf travellers heading to Texas.
Schedule and product – The service will launch with three weekly Airbus A330-900neo flights (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) before scaling up to five frequencies in June 2026. East-bound flights depart Houston mid-afternoon, enabling same-day Schengen connections, while west-bound departures leave Rome at 10:20, arriving at IAH at 15:40. The aircraft offers ITA’s new 30-seat Business Class, 24 Premium Economy seats and 237 Economy seats, including Comfort + rows popular with corporate travellers.
Business-traveller implications – Energy, engineering and life-science firms with operations in both regions gain a same-carrier, same-terminal option that reduces travel time by four to six hours compared with routings via New York or Atlanta. Companies using Italy for regional headquarters also benefit from seamless intra-EU connectivity on ITA’s short-haul network and SkyTeam partners. Travellers should note that Houston immigration facilities are part of the U.S. Global Entry programme, and ITA participates in TSA PreCheck.
Next steps – The carrier still awaits final DOT approval for slot coordination at IAH but expects clearance in early Q1 2026. Aeroporti di Roma confirmed it will upgrade Fiumicino’s Molo E check-in area with dedicated fast-track security for the new flight. Frequent-flyer redemptions under Volare and SkyMiles will open once the timetable is uploaded to the Amadeus inventory later this week.
