On Tuesday morning, American Airlines announced that it would further reduce its schedule due to the drop in demand following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The airline will reduce its international capacity over the summer peak by 10%, including a 55% reduction in transpacific capacity. 

A representative American Airlines informed Simple Flying that the airline is continuously evaluating its operations and that the situation is overall fluid. At this time, there is no indication of how many aircraft may be parked as a result of the cancellations. While shifting focus away from its European summer destinations, it will be launching a new daily service between Chicago and Honolulu.

Large cuts to transpacific capacity

Foreseeing that the spread of the coronavirus will have temporarily dampened the travel bug (no pun intended) in a large number of Americans for the next few months, American Airlines has announced significant schedule reductions for the summer peak period. It will reduce international capacity by 10%, which includes its transpacific capacity being slashed by a brutal 55%. 

The schedule changes include stopping all flights to Hong Kong and mainland China from Los Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth over the summer (but resuming the Dallas-Hong Kong route with a reduced schedule in July). Flights from LAX and DFW to both Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita will be operated with smaller widebody aircraft beginning in May. It will also extend the suspension of its service to Seoul from Dallas into early May.

American Airlines reduces international capacity with 10% due to coronavirus
American Airlines removed Banks from the aircraft as well as several passengers who came to his defense. Photo: Getty Images

European routes affected

European destinations are affected by the suspension of the airline’s Philadelphia to Rome route, effective immediately until the end of April. Flights to Milan (already suspended) and Rome (new addition) from Chicago and Charlotte are also on the list for flight suspensions until early summer.  

The airline will also delay the resumption of its seasonal flights to Barcelona from Charlotte, and to Venice from Chicago until early June. Furthermore, it will delay the seasonal flights to Rome from New York and Chicago through the end of April, and completely cancel the second daily flight Dallas-Rome for the summer. It is also reducing services to Paris and Madrid. 

American Airlines reducing schedule further due to coronavirus
American Airlines will also reduce domestic routes by 7.5% in April. Photo:

Across the Americas

The airline is also be making cuts to its South America routes. Flights to Montevideo from Miami will become seasonal, and flights to Santiago will be suspended throughout April. 

American Airlines intends to redeploy its widebody aircraft on domestic routes. For now, it will also reduce its domestic flights by 7.5 % in April versus the current schedule.

It is not all doom and gloom, however. The airline will introduce a new seasonal flight between Chicago and Honolulu on a Boeing 787-9 this summer and has just entered into an agreement to lease 22 Boeing 787-8 from BOC aviation.

The airline previously announced on Monday that it would be extending the change fee waivers for passengers who purchased their tickets prior to the 1srt of March for travel through the 30th of April.