American Airlines is set to become the only American carrier to serve all 50 states in the United States, but there is a catch. Not every state will be served by an airplane. Starting in October, American will launch a bus service from Philadelphia to Wilmington, Delaware.
Now serving all 50 states: one with a bus
American Airlines is making strides with its route network, both traditionally and untraditionally. Yesterday, the airline announced eight new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean. Another announcement earlier this week revealed that American Airlines would become the only carrier to serve all 50 states in the United States.
Edward Russell, an aviation and transport journalist, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that American was launching a bus route from Philadelphia International Airport to Wilmington Airport in Delaware. From October 7, American and The Landline Company (the bus operator) will have six daily roundtrips between Philadelphia and Wilmington. The route is short, 24.7 miles according to Google Maps, and will take an estimated 50 minutes in each direction.
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The full schedule for the route can be seen in the post below.
The route to Wilmington is not the only new bus route that will be added this year. American will launch a route from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) in August. According to AVP, the route will operate four times daily in each direction. The benefit to this bus service is that passengers can clear security at AVP and be dropped off airside at Terminal F in Philadelphia.
Photo: American Airlines
Amenities on the buses are similar to those on aircraft. Every seat has power available, the bus is equipped with WiFi, and baggage is handled just like it would be for a regular flight. Those hoping to collect AAdvantage miles can do so on the routes.
Joe Sottile, American Airlines Director of Domestic Network Planning, said,
“We are pleased to expand our innovative partnership with Landline to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Complementing our existing service from AVP to both our Charlotte and Chicago hubs, this new service will enhance access to American’s global network, including convenient one-stop service via our Philadelphia hub to over 100 destinations in the U.S. and around the world.”
Airline service to Delaware
Delaware is one of the smallest states in the US and has the least commercial air service. For some time, it was the only state without flights. But in February 2023, Avelo Airlines, one of the youngest airlines in the US, began serving Wilmington. Today, it is the only airline to do so.
Photo: Avelo
According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, there are 144 roundtrip flights scheduled to and from Wilmington this month. Though Avelo serves seven destinations from Wilmington, none of the routes are operated daily. The busiest route is to Orlando International Airport, connected to Wilmington four times weekly.
One of the most unique routes is to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Avelo flies twice weekly this month. The airline’s total seat offering in May is just over 27,000 and is at its peak for the year.