American is cutting 4 more routes as it continues to grapple with the pilot shortage
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- American Airlines is cutting four routes from its network, including three international and one domestic.
- A spokesperson told Insider that the axed routes were due to a mix of poor performance and the pilot shortage.
- The airline is also adding one new winter service between New York and South Florida.
American Airlines is making another schedule adjustment as the industry continues to grapple with the pilot shortage.
An American spokesperson confirmed to Insider that the airline is dropping four routes from its network due to a combination of low "performance expectations" and "regional pilot staffing challenges." The news was first reported by The Points Guy.
The move comes on the heels of three route cuts that were made in June, which American also attributed to the pilot shortage.
The axed service includes three international routes and one short domestic hop:
- Between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Between Dallas/Fort Worth and Hermosillo, Mexico
- Between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Pedro Sula, Honduras
- Between Philadelphia and Newport News/Williamsburg, Virginia
Two routes, including Charlotte to Puerto Vallarta and Dallas/Fort Worth to Hermosillo, were cut due to poor performance, according to the carrier. Meanwhile, the route between Dallas/Fort Worth and Honduras was already suspended, and the adjustment is a continuation of that suspension.
The regional pilot shortage also contributed to American dropping the Hermosillo route, as well as the Williamsburg service, per the airline.
The pilot shortage, which has been exacerbated by strong post-pandemic demand, has already forced American to ground 100 regional jets. United Airlines made a similar move in December 2021.
Despite the cuts, American will still fly to Hermosillo from Phoenix. Meanwhile, Puerto Vallarta will be served from a handful of airports, including Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix.
Williamsburg will be served by American from Charlotte and newcomer Avelo Airlines from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, according to the airport, while flights to San Pedro Sula will continue from Miami.
While American is trimming some regional flying, it is also adding new service from Miami to Westchester County Airport near White Plains, New York starting January 10, 2023. The airline last flew the route from December 2016 to August 2017, the spokesperson told Insider.
Westchester is currently served by several carriers, including JetBlue Airways, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, and United. Miami will join American's current routes to the airport from Charlotte, Chicago, and Washington, DC.
The new route suggests American sees strong winter demand from White Plains, a New York City suburb, to South Florida.
According to The Points Guy, American will not offer further connections from Westchester, meaning the route is not part of the carrier's powerful Northeast Alliance with JetBlue.
While the two have strategically scheduled many of their Northeast flights, the new service will indirectly compete with JetBlue's routes to the airport from Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.