American Airlines Expects Busy Summer With Nearly 700,000 Flights Operated

American Airlines 787-9
Credit: Imago/Alamy Stock Photo

American Airlines said it expects to carry 72 million passengers between May 17–Sept. 3, noting it will offer more seats this summer than any summer season in its history.

The Oneworld carrier plans to operate 690,000 flights during the period, up 10% compared to the 2023 summer season. The busiest day of the summer is expected to be July 7, when the airline anticipates operating 6,450 flights.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, which American defines as between May 23 and May 28, the airline plans to carry 3.9 million passengers on 36,000 flights.

The airline notes it will have 10 added destinations in its network for the upcoming summer season. These include the Bahamas; Copenhagen; Hyannis, Massachusetts; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Naples, Italy; Nice, France; Pasco, Washington; and three destinations in Mexico: Tulum, Tijuana and Vera Cruz.

Hyannis, a village on the Cape Cod peninsula, will be connected to New York LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National Airport on a seasonal basis with flights starting in June.

While the airline is optimistic about a busy summer season, it has announced a number of route suspensions for the 2024-25 winter season, citing delayed Boeing 787 deliveries. Among the suspensions is the Chicago O’Hare-Paris Charles de Gaulle route from Sept. 3, with a planned resumption in the 2025 summer.

Aaron Karp

Aaron Karp is a Contributing Editor to the Aviation Week Network.