American Airlines ends Argentina route next May
American will end service to Cordoba in Argentina in May in the face of continued demand weakness in the South American country.
The Oneworld carrier will end flights between its Miami (MIA) hub and Cordoba (COR) on May 6, according to Cirium schedule data. The airline operated the route with a Boeing 767-300ER for just over a year.
American spokesman Justin Franco said the decision to drop the route is part of a "continuous evaluation" of the airline's network.
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Argentina has faced economic challenges, including rising inflation and capital flight. As recently as July, American management called out Argentina as a market where the carrier faced demand "headwinds."
American continues to serve Buenos Aires (EZE) with nonstops from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami, and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK).
While American is exiting Cordoba, it is growing elsewhere in South America. The airline will add flights on existing routes between Miami and Lima (LIM), Santiago (SCL) in Chile, and São Paulo (GRU) in 2020. The additional follow the news that American's long-standing partner LATAM Airlines will end their partnership and align with Delta Air Lines.
American plans to grow system capacity by roughly 5% year-over-year in 2020. Accelerated annual growth that will be partially driven by the Boeing 737 MAX's still-pending return to service.
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