Summary
- In 2024, American Airlines plans to serve 352 airports globally.
- The oneworld carrier cut 94 airports from its network between 2004 and 2023.
- They included 49 airports outside North America, including 17 in Europe.
New and returning airports to American’s portfolio in 2024 include Brisbane (new), Copenhagen (new), Governor’s Harbor (last served in 2010), Hyannis (new), Naples (new), Nice (new), Ocho Rios (new), Pasco (new), Tijuana (new), Tulum (new), Veracruz (returning; last served in 2013). But what about those airports that are no longer served?
94 airports cut in 20 years
No matter the airline, where it is located, or what model it follows, it will cut airports from its network. Like route ‘churn,’ it could be argued that not removing airports might indicate a carrier is not responsive enough to performance or contribution to connectivity or is too conservative in network selection.
Photo: Greg K_ca | Shutterstock
American is no exception. In fact, given its mergers, closed hubs, enormous scale, and network breadth, it is arguable that it is more liable to have removed airports than others. And, like all airlines, it must decide where it can get the best return for its equipment.
Using Cirium data to compare the 352 airports served in 2024 to those that were part of its network between 2004 and 2023 shows that 94 airports have been cut from American’s network.
These Are The 69 European Routes Delta Air Lines Has Cut Since 1990
They include a number of routes that might surprise you.
Where has been removed?
The 94 airports have been segmented into continents or regions and are listed alphabetically below. I have broken them into two sections: non-North America and North America. They do not include places like Casablanca that were announced but did not begin.
Some cuts were partly due to the withdrawal of equipment, whether turboprops or the Boeing 757 (shown below). Others were due to the retirement of more all-economy, 50-seat RJs, with communities unable to sustain higher capacity and more premium alternatives. Note that I have included:
- Airports previously served from the carrier’s San Juan hub
- Airports inherited US Airways and both from TWA’s ex-St Louis hub
- Airports like Tegucigalpa Toncontin, which American left in favor of nearby Palmerola (there are also multiple examples of where the carrier flew to another airport to serve the same broad area)
- Airports that have since shut down, like Berlin Tegel
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Non-North American cuts
The year mentioned after each entry indicates the last year American served the airport. Notice the number of leisure-driven summer-seasonal European routes last served in 2019: they did not return during or after the pandemic. The number of Brazilian routes dropped since 2014 appears to have been related to the country’s dire recession.
- Asia (four airports): Beijing Capital (2020), Hong Kong (2020), Nagoya (2005), Osaka Kansai (2006)
- Caribbean (11 airports): Canouan (2008), Cap-Haïtien (2020), Cienfuegos (2018), La Romana (2017); Mayaguez (2005), Nevis (2011), Saint Lucia (SLU; 2012), Samana (2023), San Salvador (Bahamas; 2018), Treasure Cay (2012), Vieques (2006)
- Central America (one airport): Tegucigalpa Toncontin (2021)
- Europe (17 airports): Berlin Tegel (2019), Birmingham (2017), Bologna (2019), Brussels (2016), Budapest (2019), Dubrovnik (2019), Düsseldorf (2016), Edinburgh (2019), Glasgow (2018), Helsinki (2014), Keflavik (2019), London Gatwick (2008), London Stansted (2008), Manchester (2020), Moscow Domodedovo (2009), Prague (2019), Shannon (2019)
- South America (16 airports): Asunción (2015), Belo Horizonte (2018), Brasília (2020), Caracas (2019), Cordoba (2020), Curitiba (2016), La Paz (2018), Manaus (2021), Maracaibo (2019), Paramaribo (2023), Porto Alegre (2016), Recife (2016), São Paulo Campinas (2016), Salvador (2016), San Andrés Island (2023), Santa Cruz (2019)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
45 North American cuts
They are Arcata/Eureka (2022), Binghampton (2017), Bullhead City (2018), Burlington (IA; 2007), Cape Girardeau (2007), Cheyenne (2020), Chetumal (2022), Chicago Midway (2006), Columbus (GA; 2023), Culiacan (2023), Dallas Love (2009), Decatur (2007), Del Rio (2023), Dubuque (2022), Duluth (2020), Edmonton (2019), Elmira (2017), Fairbanks (2021), Hattiesburg (2020), Islip (2022), Ithaca (2022), Jackson (TN; 2007), Joplin (2021), Killeen (2004), Kirksville (2006)…
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Then there was… Lincoln (2004), Lafayette (IN; 2004), La Paz (2023), Long Beach (2023), Marion (2007), Meridian (2020), Oakland (2022), Ottawa (2020), Owensboro (2007), Paducah (2006), Puebla (2018), Quincy (2007), Sioux Falls (2021), Stewart (2021), Tampico (2008), Toledo (2022), Tweed New Haven (2021), Waterloo (2016), Waynesville (2007), and Williamsport (2021).
Phew! Which of those no-longer-served airports did you fly American to/from? Let us know in the comment section.
