American Airlines will add seven new year-round routes from Austin, Texas, this summer.
The Dallas-based carrier will begin flying from Austin to Nashville, Las Vegas, Orlando and New Orleans on May 6. Service from the Texas capital to Tampa; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; and Washington Dulles will follow in June, July and August, respectively. All seven of those routes will operate either daily or twice daily.
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The new flights represent a significant strategic shift for the carrier in Austin. Currently, eight of the nine year-round routes American operates at the city's Bergstrom Airport service an American hub. None of the new routes, though, will connect to a hub.
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Southwest is the largest carrier in Austin, having carried 34% of passengers in 2020. American was the second airline largest there last year, carrying 20% of passengers.
American will compete against Southwest on the Nashville, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa and Raleigh-Durham routes, according to Cirium data.