While United Airlines has been flying into Venezuela for almost 20 years, the Chicago-based airline has suspended all service in 2017 two years before the U.S. officially severed diplomatic ties with the South American country and pulled its diplomats out of the Caracas embassy after President Nicólas Maduro was declared the winner in a highly contested presidential election in 2019.
Following the U.S. capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores last January, Donald Trump ordered the reopening of airspace to U.S. airlines. Airlines immediately scrambled to restart service to Venezuela and United has now confirmed that it will restart daily flights between Houston and Caracas by August 2026.
The airplane used will be a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane with room for 178 passengers.
“A gateway to the region”: United to restart Houston-Caracas flight
The 2,260-mile route will take four hours and 45 minutes headed south to Caracas and five hours and 30 minutes when flying north back to the United States. UA1046 to Caracas will depart Houston at 11:45 p.m. to arrive at 5:30 a.m. local time while the UA1045 flight back will leave at 8:00 a.m. Caracas time to arrive at 12:30 p.m.
“After nearly a decade, United welcomes the opportunity to resume service between Houston and Venezuela thanks to the leadership and support of the Department of Transportation and the U.S. government,” United’s Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning Patrick Quayle said in a statement. “This flight will help strengthen cultural and economic ties across the Americas and further reinforces United’s Houston hub as a leading gateway to the region.”
Related: Venezuelan airlines are asking for permission to fly to the U.S.
Competitor American Airlines has earlier resumed its route to Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) earlier this spring; the airline had been flying to Venezuela since 1987 and continued limited service to Caracas up until the airspace was closed to U.S. planes in 2019.
This resumption of service comes amid a political atmosphere where the military intervention failed to overthrow the Venezuelan government and Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez recently denounced Trump’s social media posts referring to Venezuela as “a 51st state.”
Prior to the long string of political instability, Angel Falls was a popular tourist destination in Venezuela.
Image source: Shutterstock
As some service restarts, Venezuela remains highly dangerous destination
Despite a highly volatile security situation and spike in violent crime due to the deterioration of humanitarian conditions, the U.S. State Department lowered its travel advisory for the country from level four’s “do not travel” to level three’s “reconsider travel” earlier this year.
“Irregular armed groups can carry out acts of violence against citizens without warning,” the travel advisory currently reads. “Reliable crime statistics are unavailable.”
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In May 2025, the State Department sent out a travel notice meant to “emphasize the extreme danger to U.S. citizens.”
The warning also stated that citizens that disregard the advisory to travel anyway should “consider hiring a professional security organization” and “prepare a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.”
The present-day advisory now states that “while the situation is improving, conditions in some parts of Venezuela remain dangerous.” No other Western country has changed its “do not travel” advisory rating for Venezuela at the current time.