American Airlines is cutting international flights next year — and blaming Boeing

American Airlines is cutting international flights next year — and blaming Boeing

American Airlines (AAL) will do slightly less international travel next year, apparently because it doesn’t have the planes to do so. The airline said it would delay a number of new routes as Boeing (BA) filled jetliner orders slower than expected, travel industry news site The Points Guy first reported.

“Due to ongoing delays in Boeing 787 deliveries, American is adjusting service on certain routes in spring 2025 to ensure we can reaccommodate customers on affected flights,” American said in a statement to Quartz. “We will proactively reach out to our affected customers to offer alternative travel arrangements and remain committed to mitigating the impact of these Boeing delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.”

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

American said no routes will be canceled due to the delays, but some routes will be added later than expected:

  • Flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, which have been suspended since September, will resume in May instead of April.

  • Flights from Miami International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport will be temporarily suspended starting in May.

  • Starting in April, there will be two daily flights from Miami International Airport to Ministro Pistarini International Airport near Buenos Aires, Argentina, instead of three.

American Airlines is one of Boeing’s largest customers awaiting 787 deliveries. Of the 785 open orders for the plane listed on the plane maker’s website, American is waiting for 25. Only United Airlines (UAL), Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Airlines and Lufthansa are apparently waiting for more planes.

Because the planes are wider than Boeing’s popular 737 Max planes, they are desirable for airlines that offer many long-haul international flights. Although U.S. airlines are hesitant to add more capacity after empty seats led to reduced fares (and passenger revenue) across the industry, American hoped that what little new offering it introduced would be international.

“As we bring capacity back, probably 1% or more of consolidated capacity will come from the region, most of which will be on the domestic side,” CFO Devon May said on an earnings call in October. “The rest of the growth, in my opinion, will be relatively evenly distributed, perhaps a little more international than domestic.”

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