American Airlines has ended flights to three destinations this year — Santa Maria, California; Tijuana, Mexico; and Doha, Qatar — reducing options for travelers who relied on those routes, according to aviation outlet Simple Flying, which cited data from aviation analytics company Cirium.
The cuts have left Santa Maria without service from a major U.S. legacy carrier, while Tijuana has lost the only nonstop route a U.S. airline operated there. American had flown both routes from Phoenix and has now exited each market entirely.
In Santa Maria, Allegiant Air is now the only commercial airline serving the local airport, offering flights to Las Vegas, Simple Flying reported.
American operated the Santa Maria flights under its American Eagle brand through a partnership with SkyWest Airlines. A company spokesperson told local outlet KEYT earlier this year that the route was dropped for performance reasons.
“Unfortunately, flights to SMX did not meet performance expectations and SkyWest informed American it will discontinue service as of May 7,” the spokesperson said.
American cut its Tijuana service in August after the route similarly failed to meet performance expectations, the airline told aviation outlet AirlineGeeks. A spokesperson said American routinely reviews its routes to ensure “optimal deployment of aircraft.”
The Philadelphia-to-Doha route was permanently discontinued in June after American had previously suspended the flights amid regional hostilities, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Qatar Airways has since stepped in to restore nonstop service between Philadelphia and Doha.
“As part of an optimization of our network and fleet, American has made the difficult decision to discontinue service to Doha, Qatar (DOH),” American Airlines spokesperson Bri Harper said in a statement to the Inquirer.
Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines for further comment on the cuts.
Why Airlines Drop Routes
Steven Arroyo, an aviation safety expert and retired United Airlines captain based in Florida, said route cancellations like these are a routine part of running an airline.
“If airlines are consistently not making money on a route, they’re going to pull out, and it happens all the time,” Arroyo said. “It’s part of the economic reality of running an airline efficiently.”
Arroyo advised travelers to stay alert to changes on routes they rely on and to do some research before booking.
He said passengers planning trips to the Middle East in particular should keep close watch on their flights and have backup plans ready.
“If you are traveling to the Middle East, to the Gulf region, I would highly advise all passengers, all customers, to keep a careful watch,” Arroyo said. “Go on the internet, go to the company’s website, see what’s going on … try to lock in those prices or make alternative plans if it looks like flights may be canceled on your route.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login