American Airlines will not operate 19 previously planned
international routes in summer 2021, when the carrier will cut its planned long-haul
international flying by 25%.
The changes have been forced by the Covid-19 crisis.
“We are using this opportunity to hit reset and create a
network using the strength of our strategic hubs that we can build and grow
upon and be profitable on in this new environment,” chief revenue officer Vasu
Raja said in a prepared comment.
The carrier will ax routes from Los Angeles to Hong Kong,
Beijing, Shanghai, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires; from Charlotte it to Barcelona,
Paris and Rome; from Philadelphia to Budapest, Berlin and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The carrier will also do away with Milan and Brasilia routes from
Miami, Chicago-Venice and Dallas/Fort Worth- Munich.
In addition, American won’t introduce previously planned
routes from Chicago to Budapest, Prague and Krakow, Poland; and from
Philadelphia to Casablanca, Morocco.
The carrier said that Dallas/Fort Worth will remain its
major transpacific hub. Miami will remain its primary hub for the Caribbean and
Latin America. Philadelphia will continue to be its primary Europe hub.
Despite the cuts, American said it will go forward with a
planned launch of international service out of Seattle as part of a revamped
codeshare partnership with Alaska Airlines. American flights between Seattle
and London Heathrow and Bangalore, India, will launch next year.
American and joint venture partner British Airways anticipate operating a full schedule to Heathrow
in 2021.