Earlier this week, American Airlines revealed the destinations that it is ‘considering’ adding to its network. Some would be brand-new, while others would be resumptions. They were disclosed during a company event, with people able to vote for the places they prefer most. Delta did this kind of thing last year.
American had already narrowed down the options greatly. It will probably choose at least one of the possibilities, but I’d not be surprised to see more than one addition. For most of the markets, the Airbus A321XLR would be important equipment. This machine is also down to operate the carrier’s brand-new service from Philadelphia to Porto.
The Ten Cities That Could Be Announced
As usual with these things, there is no timeframe about when an announcement might be made. It is possible that it won’t be for many months, not least because they’re unlikely to be served until 2027 at the earliest. Even flights to Porto, announced a week ago, won’t begin until May next year.
Notice that all the cities are in Europe, Africa, and South America. Cape Town sticks out like a sore thumb. It is, of course, the only potential addition that would probably be served on the Boeing 787-9.
South African Airways operated between Cape Town and Miami until 2000. If American flew from its Miami hub, the route would cover 6,663 nautical miles (12,340 km) each way. It’d be the airline’s second-longest nonstop service, distance-wise, after Dallas to Brisbane. However, the ongoing hostilities between the US and South Africa, as well as the lack of traffic rights, suggests that Cape Town won’t be served in the near term.
Possible American City | Has American Flown There Before?* | Any US Flights In 2026? |
|---|---|---|
Berlin | Yes, from Philadelphia to the now-closed Tegel in 2019. Also, from Chicago until 1993 | Yes (Delta, United)** |
Bordeaux | No | No (last served in 1990 by Air France and UTA) |
Brussels | Yes, from Philadelphia until 2016. Also, from Dallas until 1993, Chicago until 2011, and JFK until 2012 | Yes (Brussels, Delta, United) |
Cape Town | No | Yes (Delta/United) |
Casablanca | No (flights were announced in 2019, but COVID-19 meant they didn’t begin) | Yes (Royal Air Maroc) |
Córdoba | Yes, from Miami until 2020 | Yes (Aerolíneas Argentinas) |
Palma de Mallorca | No | Yes (United)** |
Seville | No | No (never had them) |
Shannon | Yes, from Philadelphia until 2019. Also, from Boston until 2006 and Chicago until 2007 | Yes (Aer Lingus, Delta, United) |
Vienna | No | Yes (Austrian) |
* Based on US DOT data from 1990 only | ** Unrelated to the US, but Air Canada will begin flights there in 2026 |
Southern European Destinations Are Likely
The trend from the US is clear. European travel is, for now at least, massively about Southern Europe. This particularly relates to US citizens traveling for tourism and visiting friends and relatives. As such, it is reasonable to assume that American might begin flights to Palma de Mallorca or Seville. It’d fit with the trend, and it’d chime with its new route to Portugal.
According to Cirium Diio data for the all-important Q3 2026 (July-September), all airlines plan 6.9 million round-trip seats between the US and Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Malta. Capacity is at its highest level. It is up by 8% compared to Q3 2025, and up by a considerable 44% compared to before the pandemic in Q3 2019. Italy is the fastest-growing nation year-over-year, closely followed by Spain (8.3%).
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What About Seville?
Seville is the capital and the largest city in the ever-popular Andalusia region of Spain. It has not previously had any scheduled passenger flights to North America, and has no long-haul flights at all. In contrast, Malaga—by the sea at the heart of the Costa del Sol—does. Focusing on North America, two airlines will operate this year: Air Transat and United.
In the 12 months to November 2025, booking data shows that Seville had approximately 110,000 round-trip US passengers, which was not a significant amount. However, it would be a decent foundation to build on, with nonstop service, along with hopefully strong promotion, increasing the traffic nicely.
Unsurprisingly, Greater New York was comfortably the largest market, with around 31,000 passengers. Will American fly the XLR from JFK, although very hot summer temperatures might impact performance? Or will it do so from Philadelphia to benefit from the greater US connectivity? Or will it not fly to Seville at all? Time will tell.
