charter flights Houston to Luanda West Africa

Atlas Air, a new airline at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), launched a premium passenger private charter service on behalf of the United States-Africa Energy Association (USAEA).

The service, known as the "Houston Express," has been made possible by a commercial arrangement with USAEA's agent, SonAir-Servico Aereo, S.A. (SonAir), an Angolan company.

Atlas Air is operating three weekly nonstop flights between IAH and Luanda, Angola. The flights depart Houston at 11:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the 14-hour, 20 minute eastbound journey, returning from Luanda on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with a flight time of 15 hours and five minutes.

The newly customized Boeing 747-400 aircraft, provided by SonAir's parent company, features 10 First Class, 143 Business Class and 36 Economy Class seats with the latest in-flight entertainment and comfort.

"The Houston Airport System welcomes Atlas Air to Bush Intercontinental Airport to operate charter flights to Luanda, Angola, and West Africa from Houston," says Mario C. Diaz, director of aviation. "We are excited to be the global gateway for Houston-based firms that benefit from the new Houston Express."

"This is an important moment for our company as we leverage our record of reliability and operational excellence as the largest Boeing 747-400 freighter provider in the world to introduce outsourced charter passenger service," said William J. Flynn, President and Chief Executive Officer of AAWW. "We are delighted to work closely and cooperatively with SonAir to make the Houston Express a world-class, comfortable experience."

SonAir is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonangol Group, the multinational energy company of Angola and a member of USAEA.

USAEA's members include many of the leading U.S. energy companies involved in the exploration and development of petroleum resources in West Africa. Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola.

Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and administrative center.