130+
Weekly nonstops from these 6 airports
October 2026 schedule data
3h
Shortest: Houston → SAL
LA and New York take about 5h
73%
Avianca’s share of SAL passengers
3.8M of 5.2M in 2025
Why These Four Metros
Los Angeles has the largest Salvadoran population in the United States, and the Washington region is second, the Los Angeles Times noted in October 2026. Houston and the New York–New Jersey area round out the biggest communities. Airlines know it: these are the routes where you’ll find the most nonstop flights to Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL).
The schedules below come from airline schedule data compiled by the flight-tracking site 2LNR, last confirmed between September 27 and October 4, 2026, for the week starting October 3. Weekly counts change with the season — summer and December see extra flights — so treat them as a snapshot and confirm on the airline’s site.
Nonstop Routes at a Glance
| Metro | Airport | Nonstop airlines | Flights/week | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | LAX | Avianca, United, Volaris El Salvador | ~38 | ~5h |
| Los Angeles (Inland Empire) | ONT | Avianca | 3 | ~4h 45m |
| Washington DC / Virginia / Maryland | IAD | Avianca, Volaris El Salvador, United, Frontier (periodic) | ~31–33 | ~4h 20m |
| Houston | IAH | United, Avianca, Volaris El Salvador | ~37 | ~3h |
| New York | JFK | Avianca | ~19 | ~5h |
| New York / New Jersey | EWR | United, Volaris El Salvador | ~8–9 | ~4h 50m–5h |
Source: 2LNR route schedules (confirmed Sept 27–Oct 4, 2026). Frontier’s Washington service described as periodic by CEPA at launch (Dec 2025). Schedules change — confirm with the airline.
Los Angeles → San Salvador
LAX is the busiest US gateway to El Salvador, with about 38 nonstops a week and a flight time of roughly 5 hours.
- Avianca runs three daily departures: two overnight flights leaving just after midnight that land in San Salvador around 6–7 a.m., plus an early-afternoon departure arriving in the evening.
- United flies a nightly red-eye (late evening departure, early-morning arrival) on a Boeing 737 MAX 9.
- Volaris El Salvador flies a nightly late departure plus a late-morning flight on some days.
Inland Empire tip: Avianca also flies Ontario (ONT) → San Salvador three times a week (about 4h 45m), which can save a drive to LAX for families in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Washington DC → San Salvador
The DMV’s Salvadoran community — one of the oldest and largest in the country — is served from Washington Dulles (IAD), with flights of about 4 hours 20 minutes.
- Avianca operates most departures, with three to four flights on most days spread from very early morning to evening.
- Volaris El Salvador runs a daily overnight departure.
- United and Frontier also appear in 2026 schedule data for the route. Frontier launched Washington–San Salvador in December 2025 as part of five new El Salvador routes; CEPA described the Washington flights as periodic, so check its calendar for your dates.
We didn’t find current nonstop service from Baltimore (BWI) or Reagan National (DCA) in the schedule data we reviewed — Dulles is the airport for DMV families.
Houston → San Salvador
Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is the shortest hop on this list at about 3 hours, with roughly 37 nonstops a week.
- United, which hubs at IAH, flies three daily departures (morning, midday and evening).
- Avianca adds one or two afternoon/evening flights a day.
- Volaris El Salvador flies the route several days a week.
Frontier also opened Houston–San Salvador in December 2025 at three flights a week, but it didn’t appear in the October 2026 schedule snapshot we reviewed — check Frontier directly if you’re hunting for a low fare. United’s hub also makes IAH a natural connection point for Salvadorans elsewhere in Texas and the South.
New York & New Jersey → San Salvador
The New York metro has two nonstop options, both about 5 hours:
- JFK: Avianca is the only nonstop carrier, with about 19 flights a week — two overnight departures daily (around 3:00 and 3:35 a.m.) and a morning flight most days.
- Newark (EWR): United flies a daily early-evening departure that lands in San Salvador at night, and Volaris El Salvador adds an early-morning flight about three days a week.
Long Island families (Hempstead, Brentwood) usually find JFK closer; New Jersey and Westchester often do better at Newark.
More Nonstop Gateways
Outside the big four, schedule data also show San Francisco (SFO) with about 17 weekly Avianca nonstops and Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) with about 17 weekly flights on Avianca, American and Frontier. Avianca also moved its Orlando route to year-round service in March 2026 (four flights a week). For the complete picture of airlines serving SAL, see our El Salvador flights guide.
When Flights Are Busiest (and Priciest)
Avianca — which carried 3.8 million passengers in 2025, 73% of SAL’s 5.2 million — calls June through August El Salvador’s high season, driven by school vacations and summer events. For summer 2026 it added 33 extra weekly frequencies, including one more Los Angeles flight. December is the other crunch: it’s when families travel for Christmas and when remittances peak.
- Book December trips early. Holiday demand from the diaspora fills flights from every metro.
- Consider shoulder months. October–November and late January–February usually see less diaspora demand. See our family-visit calendar for the best windows.
- Red-eyes save a day. West Coast overnight flights land in San Salvador early in the morning — you can have breakfast with the family.
- Compare the base fare and bags. Ultra-low-cost and full-service carriers price checked luggage very differently, which matters when you’re carrying gifts for the whole family.
Arriving at SAL
The airport is in San Luis Talpa, La Paz, roughly 40–50 minutes from San Salvador depending on traffic. Our airport guide covers immigration, baggage, taxis and the new terminal improvements. Before you pack, read the customs rules for gifts and cash in our visiting-family guide.
Check your documents before you book
US citizens must use a US passport to leave and re-enter the United States. If you have TPS, a pending immigration case or any status other than citizenship or a green card, speak with an immigration attorney before booking international travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest airline to El Salvador from the US?
It depends on the date and how many bags you bring. Low-cost carriers like Volaris El Salvador and Frontier often advertise lower base fares, while Avianca and United include more in some fares. Compare the total price with the luggage you’ll actually carry.
Is Volaris El Salvador the same as Volaris?
Volaris El Salvador operates under its own airline code (N3) and is part of the Volaris group. In schedule data it flies the Airbus A320 on its US routes.
¿Qué aerolíneas vuelan directo a El Salvador desde Los Ángeles, Washington, Houston y Nueva York?
Desde Los Ángeles (LAX): Avianca, United y Volaris El Salvador (unos 38 vuelos semanales, ~5 horas); Avianca también vuela desde Ontario (ONT). Desde Washington Dulles (IAD): principalmente Avianca y Volaris El Salvador, además de United y Frontier (~4 h 20 min). Desde Houston (IAH): United, Avianca y Volaris El Salvador (~3 horas). Desde Nueva York: Avianca desde JFK y United y Volaris El Salvador desde Newark (~5 horas). Pregúntale al asistente de ia.sv por fechas y consejos.
Bottom Line
Wherever your family settled — East LA, Hyattsville, Gulfton or Hempstead — there’s a nonstop home. Pick the airport that fits, book early for December and summer, and let the red-eye do the work. More resources for the trip are in our hub for Salvadorans in the USA.
🇸🇻 Planning a trip home? Ask ia.sv
Ask about dates, airport transfers, what to bring through customs or where to take the family once you land — in English or Spanish.
Ask the ia.sv AI assistantSources: 2LNR — LAX–SAL schedule; 2LNR — ONT–SAL; 2LNR — IAD–SAL; 2LNR — IAH–SAL; 2LNR — JFK–SAL; 2LNR — EWR–SAL; ENNews — Frontier’s five new El Salvador routes (Dec 2025); Diario El Mundo — Avianca 2026 high season; Los Angeles Times — Salvadoran population by region (Oct 2026)
Published: October 5, 2026
Author: ia.sv Team