American Cuts 4 More Routes to Austin, Adds New International Destination

American Airlines continues to downsize in Austin, where the airline is exiting four other markets.

The Fort Worth-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to cut four routes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)first seen on Cirium’s schedule and later confirmed by an airline spokesperson.

Affected markets include:

• Boston
• Nashville
• Raleigh-Durham
• Orange County, California

American will eliminate the first three routes in the first week of November and will exit the Austin to Orange County market on January 5, 2025.

In a statement confirming the move, an airline spokesperson shared that “as part of our ongoing network review, American will reduce service from Austin starting this winter. American will continue to provide customers with access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections.”

With these cuts, American has reversed nearly all of the recent growth in the Texas capital.

American initially aimed to expand its presence in Austin during the pandemic, positioning itself as the airline of choice for Austin travelers with a mix of business and leisure routes.

Starting March 2021, the airline Launched 10 new routesfollowed by 14 more just three months later, including domestic and international flights to Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

In addition to the new routes, the airline also announced plans for a 15,000 square foot Admirals Club at AUSwith floor-to-ceiling windows, plenty of seating, locally inspired art, and live performances by local musicians. At its peak, some industry experts even speculated that Austin might even become America’s center city.

However, a few years later, the situation has changed dramatically.

Last year, American cuts 21 routes from Austinfollowed by five more by the end of July. With four more routes now being cut, the airline has largely reversed its recent expansion efforts. Austin will now resemble many of American’s other smaller stops, with only a handful of routes remaining, with the full list of available destinations below:

• Aspen, Colorado
• Cancun
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas-Fort Worth
• Los Angeles
• Los Cabos, Mexico
• Miami
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix

In the future, American Airlines passengers will need to connect through nearby hubs to reach many of the city’s top destinations. (Even with these cuts, American says it will still offer 30 percent more peak departures and 20 percent more peak seats next year from Austin than it did in 2019.)

Alternatively, American passengers in Austin could switch to a competitor like Delta Air Lines or Southwest Airlines — two of the largest airlines in Austin that also offer nonstop service on many of the routes that American has now cut.

While this is an unfortunate outcome for Austin-based passengers, American still has some good news for Texas as the airline will be adding a brand new international destination to its route: Tampico, Mexico.

American will fly to Tampico starting March 6, 2025. The airline’s regional arm, Envoy Air, will operate a 65-seat Embraer E170 aircraft from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) daily.

Tampico will become American’s 29th destination in Mexico, with 27 destinations served directly from DFW, the airline’s major hub. Cirium schedules show American last flew to Tampico in 2008.

“We are excited to continue expanding our network of more than 230 destinations worldwide that we serve directly from DFW. American is proud to operate as the largest U.S. airline in Mexico,” Jim Moses, senior vice president of operations at DFW, said in a statement.

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