American Airlines to leave 15 US cities as support expires

American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) has said it would suspend services to 15 regional airports in the United States effective October 7, 2020, subject to further developments relating to federal financial support for the airline industry. American Airlines is currently the only passenger airline serving all of the above destinations with the exception of Huntington and Newburgh (which also see leisure routes through Allegiant Air (G4, Las Vegas McCarran)), Kalamazoo (flights from Detroit Metropolitan operated by Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson)), Lake Charles (United Airlines (UA, Chicago O’Hare) flights from Houston Intc’l), and Springfield (United to Chicago O’Hare). The airline said that it would finalise its network adjustments on August 29 as it awaits Congress’s decision on the extension of federal support. Initially, American Airlines planned to suspend these routes only through November 3 with decisions concerning the schedule after that date due to have been announced in late September. American Airlines previously threatened to suspend routes to as many as 30 cities once CARES Act-related support expires on September 30. Recipients of the aid are barred from laying off workers and have to seek Department of Transportation permission for each market they want to suspend.