American Airlines is adjusting its domestic flight network by cutting one route and adding four new ones. The Fort Worth-based airline plans to discontinue the 667-mile route between Chicago and Columbia, South Carolina, effective January 8, 2025. This decision comes after American has operated this route since July 2023 but struggled to fill its 50-seat regional jets.
Despite the cut, American will maintain service from Columbia to several other hubs, including Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. With this change, United Airlines will become the sole carrier offering flights from Columbia to Chicago.
"As part of a continuous evaluation of our network, American has made the difficult decision to discontinue service between Columbia, SC (CAE) and Chicago (ORD). American will continue to offer service from CAE to five cities across the U.S.," stated an airline spokesperson.