Cartagena Colombia. Photo: Shutterstock United Airlines announced that it will launch two new nonstop flights to Cartagena, Colombia, from Houston (IAH) and Washington Dulles (IAD) airports, effective December 17, 2026. This will make United the first U.S. airline to offer direct flights from these two hubs to the popular Caribbean destination.
The flights will operate throughout the year, four times a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using Boeing 737 aircraft. The flight will depart from Houston at 09:35 and land in Cartagena at 14:50, while it will depart from Washington at 08:20 and land at 13:10.
Cartagena joins Bogota and Medellin, becoming United's third destination in Colombia, a country the airline has served for more than 30 years. The airline says the new route reflects its continued investment in the Colombian market and its desire to offer passengers a wider range of destinations in Latin America.
Photo: UNITEDAccording to Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of network planning and international airline connections at United, Cartagena offers travelers a different experience than the major cities in Colombia, with a combination of history, culture and Caribbean beaches.
Passengers on the new routes will enjoy personal entertainment screens in every seat, Bluetooth connections, enlarged storage compartments for carry-on luggage, and soon also high-speed Internet connection via the Starlink service, free of charge for MileagePlus club members.
With the two new routes, passengers from Cartagena will be able to connect to more than 70 destinations across the United States through United's hubs in Houston and Washington, a move that further strengthens the company's presence in Latin America.