Summary
- American Airlines introduces new seasonal European routes for summer 2025, connecting various US hubs with five transatlantic destinations.
- The airline’s return to Scotland with a direct route to Edinburgh comes on the back of a significant increase in North American demand for the region.
- American Airlines expands its European presence, bringing its total number of transatlantic destinations from Philadelphia to 17.
American Airlines has announced a series of new seasonal European routes for summer 2025. The oneworld member airline will connect four different US hubs with five transatlantic destinations – Athens, Madrid, Rome, Edinburgh, and Milan.
Photo: Santi Rodriguez | Shutterstock
The new routes are summarized in the table below:
|
Route |
Start date |
Aircraft |
Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Charlotte (CLT) – Athens (ATH) |
June 5th, 2025 |
Boeing 777-200ER |
Daily |
|
Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD) |
March 30th, 2025 |
Boeing 787-8 |
Daily |
|
Miami (MIA) – Rome (FCO) |
July 5th, 2025 |
Boeing 777-200ER |
Daily |
|
Philadelphia (PHL) – Edinburgh (EDI) |
May 23rd, 2025 |
Boeing 787-8 |
Daily |
|
Philadelphia (PHL) – Milan (MXP) |
May 23rd, 2025 |
Boeing 787-8 |
Daily |
American Airlines returns to Scotland
American Airlines’ new route between Philadelphia and Edinburgh will mark the first time the carrier has operated to the Scottish city since October 2019, when the seasonal route ended and was not brought back in 2020 due to the pandemic. Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, Gordon Dewar, said:
“We are delighted to be welcoming American Airlines back to Edinburgh as they reinstate their direct seasonal service to Philadelphia. This sees us reconnecting – and significantly surpassing – all of our pre-Covid transatlantic routes, demonstrating the significant North American demand for Edinburgh and Scotland.”
Although American Airlines will be the only carrier operating this route between Philadelphia and Edinburgh, it does face indirect competition across the Atlantic from other US airlines, including:
- Delta Air Lines – New York (JFK), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS)
- JetBlue – New York (JFK)
- United Airlines – Newark (EWR), Chicago (ORD), Washington (IAD).
A growing transatlantic presence
The new routes announced by American Airlines today bring the total number of transatlantic destinations served by the airline from its hub at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to 17. The airport serves as the carrier’s primary connecting hub for traffic across the Atlantic, with other destinations including London Heathrow (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Athens (ATH), and Venice (VCE).
Photo: Ian Dewar Photography | Shutterstock
Today’s announcement also means that next summer, American Airlines will boast the largest presence of any US carrier in both Rome (FCO) and Athens (ATH). Italy and Greece are among the largest tourist destinations in Europe for US travelers, so it comes as no surprise that American Airlines is looking to boost its transatlantic network.
Summer 2024’s new routes will be back
American Airlines launched a handful of new European routes in summer 2024, and the carrier has also confirmed that these services will return next year. They are:
- Dallas (DFW) – Barcelona (BCN)
- Philadelphia (PHL) – Copenhagen (CPH)
- Philadelphia (PHL) – Naples (NAP)
- Philadelphia (PHL) – Nice (NCE).
Photo: Conny Pokorny | Shutterstock
The new European services announced today will be operated by American Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ERs and 787-8s. The latest data from ch-aviation shows that the carrier’s fleet currently contains 47 777-200ERs, with an average age of 24 years old, and 37 787-8s, with an average age of 6 years old.