On March 30, day one of the northern aviation summer 2025 period based on IATA slots seasons, American Airlines
took off from Chicago O’Hare to Madrid. While fellow oneworld and transatlantic joint venture partner Iberia has served it for many years, no US carrier has—until now.
This network development means American now has eight European routes from its O’Hare hub—the most in 20 years but not an all-time high number—and a record six routes from the Spanish capital.

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It has been 12 years since any of the carrier’s other long-haul links had that many flights.
American’s next Madrid route
Cirium Diio data shows that the Spanish capital is Europe’s second-largest oneworld hub after London Heathrow. Of course, it’s far more than just this.
With the latest addition, American now has six Madrid routes, the carrier’s second-greatest European network after Heathrow (11). It has as many routes as Paris CDG and Rome Fiumicino.
The airport pair, which covers 3,651 nautical miles (6,762 km) each way, is flown daily aboard American’s lowest-capacity widebody, the 234-seat Boeing 787-8. Flightradar24 shows the first round-trip deployed 8.9-year-old N816AA, as shown at the top.
In the first week of April, it is scheduled as follows, with all times local:
- O’Hare to Madrid: AA126, 22:10-13:25+1/22:25-13:25+1
- Madrid to O’Hare: AA125, 16:40-18:50
In the 12 months to July 2024, O’Hare-Madrid had 77,000 round-trip point-to-point passengers. It was the Windy City’s 11th-largest European market and the number six US market from the Spanish capital. Obviously, American will have many connecting passengers both over O’Hare and, in partnership with Iberia, via Madrid.

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Now, twice-daily O’Hare-Madrid flights
Iberia has served the market for decades, including on the 747, DC10, and A340. It operated until 1991 and returned in 1998. It will run daily during 2025, mainly on the A330-300.
Cirium shows the market’s main regular highest frequency was double daily, although a handful of dates has had more than that. Iberia last had a regular double daily operation in 2016. American’s entry means the market returns to a frequency last offered nine years ago.
That makes six Madrid routes
Due to the new service, American’s Madrid seats will pass one million for the first time. As all its Spanish capital routes are year-round because of its significant alliance hub nature, it has more capacity than any other European airport except Heathrow. Its six routes are as follows:
- Charlotte (started in 2016): daily 777-200ER
- Chicago O’Hare (began in 2025): daily 787-8
- Dallas/Fort Worth (began in 2009): daily 777-200ER (also the 787-9 in October)
- Miami: daily 777-200ER
- New York JFK (began in 2010): daily (some blackout periods), primarily on the 777-200ER (787-8 through March, 777-300ER at times from May to September)
- Philadelphia (began in 2015): daily 787-8
Source of data: Cirium Diio. Figure: James Pearson
American’s eight routes from O’Hare
In 2025, American has European flights from 11 US hubs, focus cities, and other airports, including limited Las Vegas-Heathrow service for the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Influenced by its considerable summer seasonality, O’Hare has the fifth-highest European seats on an eight-strong network. Only Heathrow and Madrid are served year-round:
- Athens: daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
- Barcelona: daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
- Dublin: daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
- Heathrow: double daily in the winter, triple daily in the summer 787-9
- Madrid: daily 787-8
- Naples (new route; starts on May 6): daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
- Paris CDG: daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
- Rome: daily 787-8 (summer seasonal)
Image: GCMap
More than half of American’s O’Hare European network is now in the south of the continent, which continues to see buoyant demand. Things were far different before.
Cut flights to 16 European airports
According to the US Department of Transportation, the carrier has ceased flying to these European destinations from the Illinois hub since 1990 (others may have ended before then): Berlin Tegel (the airport has since closed), Birmingham, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Helsinki, London Gatwick, Manchester, Milan Malpensa, Moscow Domodedovo, Munich, Paris Orly, Shannon, Venice, and Zurich.