Closed Bookings: United Airlines Pushes Back Venezuela Return To January

Published Aug 20, 2026, 3:29 PM EDT 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 now comes as the second postponement of United's return to Venezuela, influenced by the major earthquake that has seen 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 at present are via Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport (MAR). No Flights With United To Venezuela Until January Credit: Shutterstock United hopes to finally return to Venezuela in January, almost six months after the first flight inauguration was due to take place. 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, as per Aeroroutes: Flight Number From To Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft UA1046 Houston (IAH) Caracas (CCS) 11:55 PM 6:30 AM + 1 day Boeing 737 MAX 8 UA1045 Caracas (CCS) Houston (IAH) 09:00 AM 12:35 PM Boeing 737 MAX 8 Simple Flying reached out to United for comment on the service resumption pushback; however, an airline spokesperson could not immediately be reached. Gradual Flights Returning To Caracas Airport Credit: Shutterstock As previously mentioned, Venezuela's main airport gateway, Caracas, was severely damaged in the June 24 earthquakes, damaging major infrastructure at the airport. This saw the airport temporarily closed as remedial works are undertaken. Currently, all passenger flights are directed to Maracaibo and Valencia. Caracas resumed cargo flights earlier this month on August 5, with ambitions to resume progressive passenger services from August 24. This will see just 400 passengers per day in the beginning, 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). United Airlines Aircraft Choice To Caracas Credit: Shutterstock United's schedule outlines that it will fly the MAX 8 to and from Caracas from January, an aircraft that can cater to a total of 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 an improvement of diplomatic ties, several American airlines have planned service resumptions 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 set to be popular for VFR travel (visiting family and relatives) due to large Venezuelan diaspora communities that are across the United States. The operational adjustments by United and additional airport constraints in Venezuela have seen United forced to delay its Caracas service once again, with hopes that January will be the month that these flights finally resume.