American Airlines says uncertainty remains over the timing of a full recovery

American Airlines announced in a recent filing that the carrier continues to operate with a significantly reduced capacity in comparison to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Despite strong demand, the airline remained down 14.5% on its domestic routes in 2021 and serves less than half of its international network as compared to 2019.

The airline, which has been facing issues with the delivery of new aircraft, carried 165 million passengers 2021, compared to 95 million passengers in 2020 and 215 million passengers in 2019. Total capacity in 2021 remained 24.7% lower than it was in 2019.

Moving forward into the busy summer season, The Dallas/Fort Worth-based airline has reduced departures by around 19.1% and seats by around 17.5% for the month of May. Additionally, American will be reducing frequencies and delaying some long-haul routes to bring their offering in line with demand.