American Airlines is set to reintroduce its longest domestic route, connecting Chicago O’Hare to Honolulu. The route, last served during the pandemic in 2021, will return in October. This development means that both American and United Airlines will provide non-stop flights between these cities for the first time in four years.
The airline has a long history with this route, having operated it for decades using various aircraft models. Initially flown by the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in the 1990s, it was later replaced by the Boeing 767-300ER in 2001. The service ended in 2014 but returned briefly from 2018 until it was suspended again due to the pandemic.
On October 26, American will resume non-stop flights on this route as part of its winter schedule. While specific details about frequency and operation period remain undisclosed, it is anticipated that the airline will use its 234-seat Boeing 787-8 aircraft daily. If confirmed, both American and United would collectively offer triple daily services on this route—a frequency not seen since early 2020.
American’s top ten longest domestic routes reveal that Chicago O’Hare to Honolulu now surpasses Dallas/Fort Worth to Honolulu as the longest by distance for the airline. This change also displaces Miami to Portland from American’s top ten list.
Previously, American operated an even longer domestic flight from Charlotte to Honolulu between May 2021 and January 2022. This temporary service covered over 4,000 nautical miles each way but was likely short-term due to aircraft availability during COVID-19 restrictions.
