American Airlines Expands International Routes for Summer 2026

American Airlines is expanding its international routes for summer 2026, adding flights to Budapest, Prague, Buenos Aires, Athens, and Milan. The airline is also extending service for the 2026 World Cup, offering flights from Dallas and Zurich. American is focusing on high-demand destinations like Italy and Greece, and using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for most new flights.

American Airlines is set to expand its international routes for the summer of 2026, adding flights to several high-demand destinations. The airline will introduce new services to Budapest, Prague, Buenos Aires, Athens, and Milan, as well as extend service for the 2026 World Cup from Dallas and Zurich. American Airlines is focusing on these high-demand destinations, utilizing Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for most of the new flights.

The expansion includes one new transatlantic flight connecting the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area with Athens, starting on May 21, 2026. This daily flight will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, marking American's only true "new" route among the six announced. American will fly to Athens from five U.S. gateways, the most of any U.S. airline [1].

Additionally, the airline will resume service to Buenos Aires and Zurich from Dallas-Fort Worth, and to Milan from Miami, all starting on May 21, 2026. These routes were previously operated by American but were suspended due to the pandemic. The airline will also offer seasonal summer service to Budapest and Prague from Philadelphia, starting on the same date [2].

American Airlines is also upgrading its service to Tokyo, with more premium aircraft. The airline will fly a Boeing 777-300ER on the DFW- to-Tokyo route and a Boeing 777-200 on the Los Angeles-to-Tokyo route, increasing premium seating capacity by more than 45% compared to summer 2025 [3].

The expansion is part of American Airlines' strategy to focus on premium and international travel, areas where demand remains strong despite softer domestic markets. The airline is also introducing new business class offerings and additional European routes to boost profitability and compete more effectively with rivals Delta and United [2].

References:
[1] https://thepointsguy.com/airline/american-airlines-new-routes-summer-2026/
[2] https://skift.com/2025/08/07/american-airlines-to-debut-routes-to-budapest-and-prague/
[3] https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-boeing-787-8-dreamliner-31-routes-5-hubs-in-august/