ITA Airways Operates First Direct Rome-Houston Flight on May 1

ITA Airways operated its first ever direct flight between Rome Fiumicino Airport and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport on May 1, the carrier's debut Texas route and its fourth U.S. destination since the rebrand from Alitalia.

The route runs four times weekly using the Airbus A330-900neo, configured for 280 passengers across business, premium economy, and economy cabins. Flying time is approximately 10 hours 30 minutes westbound and 9 hours 45 minutes eastbound, depending on jet stream conditions.

Houston joins New York JFK, Los Angeles, and Miami in ITA's U.S. network. The airline selected Houston for its strong corporate energy-sector traffic and its position as a connecting hub for travelers continuing to Mexico, Central America, and the broader U.S. South.

ITA Airways is in the final stages of integration into the Air France-KLM group, with full SkyTeam alignment scheduled for 2027. Houston passengers can earn and redeem on SkyMiles, Flying Blue, and Air France-KLM corporate accounts on the new route.

Launch fares were available from $950 round-trip in economy and around $4,200 in business class. Connecting traffic from Italian regional cities such as Florence, Naples, and Catania feeds the route through Rome with a single layover, and tourism boards in central Italy have tied the launch to summer wine-region and coastal-touring packages.