American Airlines adds new fast-growing Florida airport to its expanding route map

Vero Beach, along Florida's Atlantic coast, is about to get yet another big expansion in terms of air connectivity.

American Airlines announced last week that it will launch nonstop flights between Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) and its second-largest hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) beginning Feb. 12, 2026. This will mark the first time that travelers from Vero Beach have had access to American's global network from Charlotte, giving flyers a slew of connections across the U.S. and abroad.

This new flight will operate on a daily basis year-round. Service will be operated by American Eagle's wholly owned affiliate PSA Airlines on board a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet, which features 12 first-class seats and 64 economy seats, 24 of which are in an extra-legroom configuration.

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In recent years, Vero Beach has been steadily growing its commercial air service portfolio after primarily being a general aviation airport. That started thanks to Breeze Airways, which first added service from Vero Beach to Hartford, Connecticut, and then came back swinging with a big expansion that now includes seven Northeast destinations from the airport. In fact, Vero Beach has become home to an operating base for Breeze.

Perhaps the more established airlines are now trying to rain on Breeze's parade. Just last month, JetBlue announced that it would commence flights to Vero Beach from Boston and New York in December. And now, American is giving the city its first-ever connection to a major network hub with the flights to Charlotte.

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For American, the new flight adds yet another pin to its Florida route map, from where it's already the largest carrier by departures (largely thanks to its hub operation in Miami).

"Improved connectivity ensures that our local businesses, residents, and tourism ecosystem remain resilient and prosperous," Todd Scher, director of Vero Beach Regional Airport, said in a statement.

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