American cuts 4 more Austin routes, adds new international destination
American Airlines continues to downsize in Austin, where the carrier is exiting another four markets.
The Fort Worth-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to cut four routes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by an airline spokesperson.
The affected markets are:
- Boston
- Nashville
- Raleigh-Durham
- Orange County, California
American will scrap the first three routes during the first week of November and will exit the Austin-to-Orange County market on Jan. 5, 2025.
In a statement confirming the move, an airline spokesperson said, "As part of the continuous evaluation of our network, American will reduce service from Austin starting this winter. American will continue to offer customers access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections."
With these cuts, American has effectively reversed almost all of its recent growth in the Texas capital.
American initially aimed to expand its presence in Austin during the pandemic. The airline wanted to establish itself as the go-to airline for Austin flyers with a mix of business and leisure routes.
Beginning in March 2021, the airline launched 10 new routes, followed by 14 more just three months later, including both domestic service and international flights to Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
In addition to new routes, the airline announced plans for a 15,000-square-foot Admirals Club at AUS, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, various seating areas, locally inspired art and live performances by local musicians. At its peak, some industry experts even speculated that Austin might even become a focus city for American.
However, a few years later, the situation has changed dramatically.
Last year, American cut 21 routes from Austin, followed by another five in late July. With four more routes now being cut, the airline has largely reversed its recent expansion efforts. Austin will now resemble many of American's other smaller outstations, leaving only a handful of remaining routes, with the full list of destinations available below:
- Aspen, Colorado
- Cancun
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Los Angeles
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- Miami
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
Going forward, American Airlines travelers will need to connect through nearby hubs to get to many top destinations from the city. (American said that even with these cuts, it would offer 30% more peak-day departures and greater than 20% more peak-day seats next year from Austin compared to 2019.)
Alternatively, American's Austin flyers might defect to a competitor such as Delta Air Lines or Southwest Airlines — two of the largest carriers in Austin who together offer nonstop service on many of the routes that American has now cut.
While it's an unfortunate outcome for Austin-based flyers, American does have some good news for Texas, as the carrier is adding a new international destination to its route map: Tampico, Mexico.
American will fly to Tampico beginning on March 6, 2025. The airline's regional affiliate Envoy Air will deploy a 65-seat Embraer E170 from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on a daily basis.
Tampico will become American's 29th destination served in Mexico, 27 of which are offered directly from DFW, the airline's megahub. American last flew to Tampico in 2008, Cirium schedules show.
"We're excited to continue expanding our network of more than 230 worldwide destinations we serve directly from DFW. American is proud to operate as the largest U.S. airline in Mexico," said Jim Moses, senior vice president of DFW operations, in a statement.
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