The A380 returns to DFW, along with 2 new transatlantic routes
It's shaping up to be a historic week for the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW).
The nation's second-busiest airport, home to American Airlines' largest hub, is getting two new transatlantic routes, as well as the return of Airbus A380 service in the coming months, all operated by three of AA's closest Oneworld partners.
The first announcement came on Monday from Iberia, which unveiled plans to connect Dallas with Madrid starting in April 2022 with four weekly flights. The airline didn't include the flight schedule or operating aircraft, but Dallas will mark the airline's first foray into Texas.
Iberia's new flight will complement American's existing nonstop service on the 4,965-mile route, which resumes on Dec. 16 with daily service on a mix of the Boeing 777-200 and 787-8 Dreamliner.
As part of the Dallas announcement, Iberia also reaffirmed its commitment to launching the postponed new route to Washington Dulles (IAD), as well as bringing back the San Francisco (SFO) seasonal service starting in April 2022.
On Tuesday, it was Finnair's turn to share its latest U.S. destination: Dallas-Fort Worth. Flights to the carrier's Helsinki (HEL) hub will take off on Feb. 6, 2022, operating four times a week on the Airbus A350-900.
Helsinki will be a new nonstop destination from Dallas. Finnair's new flight is already available for purchase, with paid round-trip fares starting at $1,050 in coach and jumping to over $7,000 for business class. Award availability in business class is sparse, though there are plenty of dates with economy award space, which can be booked for just 22,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles one-way.
Finally, on Wednesday, British Airways loaded its fourth pandemic-era Airbus A380 destination, Dallas-Fort Worth, beginning on March 26, 2022, operating daily on flights 192 and 193.
The U.K.-based carrier parked the 469-seat double-decker at the outset of the pandemic, but it has started to return five of these jumbo jets to service on short-haul European routes, which will expand in the coming weeks to Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles and, now, Dallas.
Historically, Dallas-Fort Worth has seen Airbus A380 service from Emirates and Qantas, but this will mark the first time British Airways has regularly scheduled the jet on the route, according to Cirium schedules.
Together, these three announcements mark a significant expansion in the transatlantic Oneworld capacity from Dallas-Fort Worth.
As the U.S. has officially reopened to vaccinated travelers, it makes sense that these partners are boosting flights to American's largest domestic hub. For one, the major airlines have cited a significant increase in demand for transatlantic travel due to the reopening.
By adding Dallas, the airlines can partner to offer a slew of one-stop connections across the country, which aren't currently served by nonstop flights. In fact, all of the aforementioned Oneworld carriers are part of a transatlantic joint venture that includes American, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Aer Lingus. It allows the airlines to share revenue, coordinate on schedules and offer a seamless travel experience across the transatlantic network.
As these Oneworld airlines look to recover from the pandemic, Dallas-Fort Worth is a logical choice for a new pin in the U.S. route map — they can tap into American's connectivity to expand their reach beyond just the local catchment area.
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