United Airlines will launch twice-daily direct flights to Houston from Chattanooga on March 30.
The new trips to George Bush Intercontinental Airport will operate 14 times per week, and they will offer travelers greater flexibility and access to United’s global network through Houston, airport officials said in a news release. The flights will depart from Chattanooga at 7 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.
“Better air service was a big goal of mine entering office, to create a more competitive regional economy,” Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said in a news release. “Expanding air service benefits everyone — from small business owners and major employers to families who want easier access to travel. This new route is another big win for Chattanooga and a testament to what we can achieve when we share the same vision.”
Lovell Field has broken monthly boarding records throughout 2025, which comes after the airport posted an all-time high passenger count of nearly 557,000 for 2024. April Cameron, the CEO of the Chattanooga Airport, said in October the airfield could be on track for another record year.
There has been some turbulence, though. The Chattanooga Airport was one of 11 markets that recently lost direct connections from Spirit Airlines, which occurred as the budget air service faced broader financial headwinds and reentered Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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However, the airport has since regained many of those flights. Allegiant Air will launch a nonstop flight from Chattanooga to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Feb. 12, and United Airlines will begin nonstop service to Newark, New Jersey, on Jan. 6.
In early October, festooned by an archway of balloons shaped like basketballs, baseballs and hot dogs, airport officials announced that American Airlines would be the second service to offer nonstop flights to Chicago from Chattanooga. United, they noted, had also recently increased its daily flights to the Windy City from three to five.
In an interview at the event, Cameron said leaders would love to see more growth out West, including to Houston and Denver, Colorado.
The airport is also getting ready to break ground on a new $35 million parking garage that will add about 1,600 spaces.
— Compiled by David Floyd