United Adds a Nonstop Dulles to Cartagena Flight in December
Colombia · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- The start 17 December 2026, subject to government approval.
- The frequency Four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- The season Year-round, not a winter-only route.
- The times Dulles 08:20 to Cartagena 13:10; back at 16:00, landing 20:40.
- The twin Houston to Cartagena starts the same day, also four times weekly.
- The market Four US airlines already fly to Cartagena from five cities.
Four flights a week from Washington to Colombia’s Caribbean coast, starting 17 December. Seats are already on sale.
United will fly a nonstop Dulles to Cartagena flight from 17 December. It is the first US carrier to link Washington directly with Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
What United announced
United said on 29 June that the Dulles to Cartagena flight starts on 17 December, alongside a Houston route.
The airline calls itself the first US carrier to offer nonstop flights to Cartagena from either hub. Both routes run year-round.
The announcement carries an asterisk in United’s own copy. The service is subject to government approval, which is standard but not yet done.
Seats are already on sale on United’s website and app.
The schedule
The Dulles to Cartagena flight departs at 08:20 and lands at 13:10. The return leaves Cartagena at 16:00 and reaches Washington at 20:40.
It runs four times a week at launch, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Schedule filings show the flight numbers as UA1533 outbound and UA1534 back, on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. United’s own release says only that it will fly a Boeing 737.
Houston runs the same days, leaving at 09:35 and arriving at 14:50, with the return at 14:20 into Houston at 17:45.
One claim worth correcting
You will read that the Dulles to Cartagena flight is the first nonstop from Washington to Colombia. It is not.
Avianca already flies Dulles to Bogotá nonstop, twice a day. United’s claim is narrower and accurate: it is the first US airline on a Dulles to Cartagena flight.
What is true is that no other nonstop connects the Washington and Baltimore area to Cartagena. Neither BWI nor Reagan National has one.
That distinction matters if you are choosing between the two Colombian cities.
Who else flies there
American serves Cartagena from Miami twice daily. Delta flies from Atlanta and JetBlue from both New York JFK and Fort Lauderdale.
Avianca, which is Colombian rather than American, adds Miami and JFK. United becomes the fourth US airline in the market.
So the route is not opening a closed market. It is opening a closed corner of one, for the mid-Atlantic.
The market United is entering
US to Colombia capacity was running at about 3.8 million two-way seats for summer 2026. That is down 2.7 percent on the year before.
Spirit’s shutdown in May 2026 removed roughly 414,000 seats between the two countries on its own.
In other words, United is adding capacity to a market that has been shrinking. That is a deliberate bet rather than a response to growth.
Cartagena itself is growing. The airport handled 7,756,298 passengers in 2025, up 3.27 percent.
How busy Cartagena airport actually is
Rafael Núñez airport handled 3,906,258 passengers in the first half of 2026, four percent up on the same period a year earlier.
July alone brought 686,403, of whom 138,960 were international. That puts the year to end-July at roughly 4.59 million.
International traffic grew faster than domestic in 2025, at 4.9 percent against 2.8. The city is internationalising rather than simply getting busier.
The airport is now run by OINAC, the Operadora Internacional Aeropuerto de Cartagena.
What Americans need to enter Colombia
US citizens do not need a visa for stays of 90 days or less, up to 180 days in a calendar year. Migración Colombia can extend by 90 days.
Every traveller must complete the free Check-Mig form between one and 72 hours before the flight.
That form is free. Several commercial sites rank highly in search results and charge for it, so go through Migración Colombia directly.
Colombia may refuse entry without a return or onward ticket. Dual US-Colombian nationals must carry both passports and enter on the Colombian one.
Booking notes
United has published no lead-in fare for the Dulles to Cartagena flight. Prices circulating on comparison sites mix in itineraries that are not actually nonstop.
One report says frequency rises to five a week next spring. That is not in any United release, so treat it as unconfirmed.
United is also adding a seasonal Dulles to Liberia route in Costa Rica on the same day. It runs to 4 January on a larger Boeing 737 MAX 9.
That one was not announced through United’s newsroom, so its details rest on regional reporting rather than the airline.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Dulles to Cartagena flight start?
17 December 2026, subject to government approval. It runs four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Is the route seasonal?
No. United says both the Dulles and Houston routes operate year-round, starting with four flights a week over the winter season.
What are the flight times?
Dulles 08:20 to Cartagena 13:10, and Cartagena 16:00 to Dulles 20:40. Schedule filings list them as UA1533 and UA1534.
Do Americans need a visa for Colombia?
No, for stays of 90 days or less. Every traveller must complete the free Check-Mig form between one and 72 hours before departure.
Which other US cities fly nonstop to Cartagena?
Miami and New York JFK, plus Atlanta on Delta and Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue. United becomes the fourth US airline serving the city.
Sources
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times