American Airlines announced more cuts in international flights out of Charlotte and other airports as demand has decreased due to COVID-19, according to a Wednesday statement from the airline.
The airline, which is the dominant carrier for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, has suspended flights from CLT to London Heathrow and Munich International Airport until the winter. Flights from Charlotte to Frankfurt Airport have been suspended until the summer of 2021.
In addition, the airline has discontinued routes from Charlotte to Barcelona, Rome and Paris. The airline said these routes were once popular leisure destinations but are expected to see decreased demand because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
These changes are effective immediately, said airline spokeswoman Crystal Byrd.
On Wednesday, the European Union opened its borders to visitors from 15 countries but is not allowing travelers from the United States.
American had previously delayed flights from CLT to Frankfurt until October, and flights to London and Munich until August.
The airline has also suspended flights from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport to London Heathrow until this winter.
The airline’s long-haul international capacity will be down 25% in summer 2021 compared to 2019, the airline said. International schedule updates will be reflected on aa.com on Sunday.
“COVID-19 has forced us to reevaluate our network,” said American’s Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja, in a statement.
Raja said American will have a smaller international network for the next year, but will use the time to work on becoming profitable in a new environment.
This is a developing story
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