American Airlines Expands Europe Routes with Five New Destinations

American Airlines has announced the expansion of its transatlantic network for the summer of 2025, introducing five new routes to Europe, including a return to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the first time since 2019. The airline will offer daily flights from Philadelphia to Edinburgh and Milan Malpensa, while Miami will add a new daily route to Rome Fiumicino, bringing the airline’s total routes to Italy’s capital to six.

Additionally, the carrier will introduce new daily service from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Athens, Greece, and launch a new route between Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD). Routes to Copenhagen, Naples, Italy, and Nice, France—originally launched in 2024—will also return for the 2025 summer season.

As part of this expansion, American Airlines plans to extend its winter seasonal service between Miami and Paris Charles de Gaulle into the summer, with daily flights.

Brian Znotins, American Airlines’ senior vice president of network and schedule planning, highlighted the airline’s commitment to providing passengers with more travel options across Europe. “This summer schedule will offer more ways to visit favorite destinations in Europe through our U.S. hubs,” Znotins said. The expanded network will feature over 70 daily departures across American’s transatlantic routes during the summer season.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) will play a significant role in the expanded network, offering 14 European destinations, including Barcelona, Lisbon, and Venice. The new addition of Edinburgh (EDI) marks American’s return to the Scottish capital for the first time since October 2019. Additionally, Milan Malpensa will be a new destination from Philadelphia. American will be the sole carrier operating on both routes.

Gordon Dewar, CEO of Edinburgh Airport, expressed enthusiasm for American Airlines’ return, emphasizing that the airport will reconnect to and surpass its pre-COVID transatlantic routes. Dewar noted the strong North American demand for Edinburgh and Scotland as key factors driving the airline’s decision.

Znotins also addressed why Philadelphia, rather than New York’s JFK, serves as a primary hub for transatlantic expansion. He explained that while JFK caters more to the local New York market, Philadelphia’s role is to serve travelers from across the U.S., making it an ideal hub for connecting passengers to secondary European cities.

From Miami, American currently offers flights to Barcelona, London Heathrow, and Madrid, with four daily departures. The new Miami-Rome route will compete with Italian flag carrier ITA Airways, which also operates daily service from Rome.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport will see new daily service to Athens, complementing American’s existing seasonal routes to Greece from JFK, ORD, and PHL. The Chicago-Madrid route will join the ranks of Oneworld partner Iberia, further enhancing transatlantic connectivity.

With its expanded schedule for summer 2025, American Airlines will operate around 50 nonstop routes between the U.S. and Europe, offering up to 67 flights per day and more than 250,000 weekly seats. Currently, American holds a 10.5% share of the U.S.-Europe market, trailing Delta Air Lines at 14.9% and United Airlines at 14.6%.

In addition to its transatlantic expansion, American will also increase capacity on four routes to Asia, deploying larger aircraft for flights from Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda.