Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot.
Star Alliance carrier United Airlines has delayed its planned resumption of flights between Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Caracas (CCS). The airline, which planned to return to Venezuela from October 6, will now delay its service resumption until January 12. According to a report by AeroRoutes, the service resumption date remains highly likely to change. The flights are planned to operate on the carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
This is the second postponement of United’s return to Venezuela, driven by the major earthquake that has caused widespread damage across the South American country. Currently, the country’s main airport remains closed to passenger flights, with no set date for resumption. Most flights to and from the country currently go via Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport (MAR).
No Flights With United To Venezuela Until January
United hopes to return to Venezuela in January, almost six months after the first flight was due to begin. The service, now set to begin on January 12, will follow an evening overnight schedule from Houston, providing the full day for connecting passengers to make their way to Texas before the overnight flight.
Return services are planned to depart from Caracas in the mid-morning, with a 9:00 AM departure for a midday arrival into Houston, again in suitable timing for connections across the United network. An outline of the flight schedule below.
A United spokesperson commented on the service resumption in a statement to Simple Flying on Thursday.
“In light of the earthquakes in Venezuela earlier this summer, United has delayed our planned service from Houston to Caracas through January 11. We remain committed to this market and look forward to serving Caracas once the airport and our vendors are prepared for United operations.”
As previously mentioned, Venezuela’s main airport gateway, Caracas, was severely damaged in the June 24 earthquakes, damaging major airport infrastructure. This led to the airport being temporarily closed while remedial work is undertaken. Currently, all passenger flights are directed to Maracaibo and Valencia.
Caracas resumed cargo flights earlier this month, on August 5, with plans to resume passenger services from August 24. This will start with just 400 passengers per day, with a gradual increase to around 85% of historical capacity by the end of the year. United seems to have delayed its service slightly longer than December, picking January as the latest new date for services to Caracas.
United is the second US carrier to plan flights to Caracas, with American Airlines also looking at its own services from Miami. These flights were also axed after the earthquake, with the oneworld airline now serving the country with flights to Maracaibo. Other international airlines flying to Venezuela (albeit to secondary airports) include Avianca (Bogota) and Copa Airlines (Panama City).
As Venezuela recovers from a devastating earthquake, American Airlines’ new regional jet flights to Maracaibo adds a connection to this oil city.
United’s schedule shows it will fly the MAX 8 to and from Caracas from January, an aircraft that can carry up to 166 passengers across three classes of service (United Business, Economy Plus, and Economy). United currently operates more than 120 of these planes and utilizes them on domestic and short-haul international flights.
Following the lifting of the US government ban on flights to Venezuela and improved diplomatic ties, several American airlines have planned to resume service to the South American country. Business travel demand has led American and United to add flights to Caracas primarily due to the oil sector.
Additionally, the flights are expected to be popular for VFR travel (visiting family and relatives) because of large Venezuelan diaspora communitiesacross the United States. Operational adjustments by United and additional airport constraints in Venezuela have forced United to delay its Caracas service once again, with hopes that January will be the month these flights finally resume.
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