Service to run from June 26 through Aug. 18
The Durango-La Plata County Airport announced Dec. 13 that United Airlines will expand the option for direct flights between Durango and Houston from weekends to daily in June 2025. (Durango Herald file)
Beginning in June, United Airlines will offer daily nonstop flights between Houston and the Durango-La Plata County Airport during the summer season.
The daily service will start on June 26 and run through Aug. 18. Weekend service will be available prior to the daily service, between May 24 and June 21.
United will operate one flight a day, on a 76-seat Embraer E-175 aircraft.
The expansion has been arranged in response to an increase in traveler demand during peak summer months. The direct flight between Durango and Houston was offered on Saturdays and Sundays during the summers of 2023 and 2024.
“Those flights were successful, and United is looking to add capacity on that daily service this summer to see if the route can support additional frequencies,” said DRO Aviation Director Tony Vicari.
Houston is the fourth major hub for air travel to and from Durango. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) offers connections to the Southeastern United States as well as Latin American countries.
Durango passengers will have direct access to the greater Houston area, and increased flexibility in their travel plans, while visitors from Southeastern Texas can take advantage of increased ease of travel during the summer recreation season.
“It’s always great to have options,” Vicari said. “It just opens up a whole new set of potential itineraries for folks, and so we’re excited for what that could look like, and we anticipate seeing strong utilization of that here this upcoming summer.”
Vicari said there is some precedence for United to potentially consider expanding the route to include the winter season. The route was briefly offered in the winter of 2020 before the outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in decreased air travel. He said that currently, however, United is primarily focused on the summer as the peak season.
“But if the route proves successful here in 2025 … I do really feel that it shows it’ll be a strong business case for United to look at a wider service model that would potentially cover other seasons,” Vicari said.
jbowman@durangoherald.com