Korean Air will offer the nation’s first nonstop flights to Houston from May 2 ― a boon not just for travelers doing business in the city but also for those connecting to other cities in South and Central America.

According to the nation’s largest air carrier, daily nonstop flights will depart from Incheon at 9:10 a.m. to arrive in Houston at 8:30 a.m. The return flights leave Houston at 10:40 a.m. and arrive in Incheon at 3:30 p.m. on the next day. 

The route will utilize a B777-200 aircraft with a capacity of 248 passengers, the company said.

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most-populated U.S. city with 2.1 million people. 

The city may be best known as the hometown of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Texas Medical Center, one of the world’s largest medical institutions, is also located in Houston.

Adding to major refineries such as Shell, Exxon Mobile, Chevron and ConocoPhilips based in the city, some 17 key Korean companies including affiliates of Samsung, LG and SK have also owned local operations for more business opportunities.

The city itself is also full of diverse tourist attractions.

The most popular program is the behind-the-scenes journey through NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Visitors can see and experience the evolution of equipment and astronauts training for upcoming missions.

The Houston Museum with is the largest art museum in Texas, with some 40,000 artworks. The city also boasts abundant infrastructure for performance arts, such as opera, ballet, classic music and play.

Another attraction is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the world’s largest livestock show and richest regular-season rodeo. Visitors can participate in diverse events such as livestock auctions, wine tasting and a barbecue party. Last year 25 million people visited the festival.

The direct flights to the city are also good news for honeymooners heading to Mexico’s resort city of Cancun, one of the most favored destinations among newly-wed couples. Compared to other U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and New York, Houston has more frequent and convenient connecting flights to the Latin American city, Korean Air said.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)