United Airlines announced that it will commence direct services from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana, from April 1, 2024.
This will be the first direct service flown by any airline between the two cities.
The Houston to Georgetown flights will operate four times weekly on United’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with 191 seats in three different classes.
Growth plans in Houston
As the largest airline in Houston, United also shared its growth plans at IAH Airport, including a $2.6 billion renovation and expansion of Terminal B at the airport, a new United Club lounge location and an Early Bag Storage facility (EBS).
The airline said that these investments are part of “United Next” growth plan, which includes the expansion of 40 gates at IAH airport to accommodate larger aircraft.
United said that the expansion will result in a 40% increase in the overall number of people who can fly on peak travel dates in 2026 compared to 2023.
“United Next is about new investments that improve the customer experience and building careers for the next generation of aviation professionals – and all those things and more are coming to life here in Houston,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a press statement.
Expansion in Latin America
United’s announcement of direct flights to Guyana came just two weeks after the airline said it will offer direct flights between Mexico’s soon-to-open Tulum International Airport (TQO) and New York/Newark, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) , IAH Airport, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) beginning March 31, 2023.
The airline is growing its network in the broader Latin America and Caribbean region by 25% in winter 2023, and remains the largest US airline to Central America.