American Airlines to cut international flights next year – and blame Boeing

American Airlines (EEL) will make slightly fewer international trips next year, apparently because it doesn’t have the planes it needs to do so. The airline said it will delay a number of new routes thanks to Boeing (B.A) fulfills jetliner orders slower than expected, travel industry news site The point guy first reported.

“As a result of ongoing Boeing 787 delivery delays, American is adjusting service on certain routes in the spring of 2025 to ensure we are able to reinstate customers on affected flights,” American said in a statement to Quartz. “We will proactively reach out to our affected customers to offer alternative travel arrangements and remain committed to mitigating the impact of these Boeing delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.”

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

American said it will not cancel any routes because of the delays, but it will start some routes later than expected:

• Flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, which have been suspended since September, will resume in May instead of April.

• Flights from Miami International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport will be temporarily suspended starting in May.

• Starting in April, there will be two daily flights from Miami International Airport to Ministro Pistarini International Airport near Buenos Aires, Argentina, instead of three.

American Airlines is one of the largest Boeing customers awaiting 787 deliveries. Of 785 unfilled orders for the aircraft listed on the aircraft manufacturer’s website, American is waiting for 25 of them. Only United Airlines (UAL), Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Airlines and Lufthansa are identified as awaiting more flights.

Because the planes are wider than Boeing’s popular 737 Max aircraft, they are desirable for airlines that operate many long-haul international flights. Although US carriers are hesitant to add more capacity after empty seats throughout the industry reduced fares (and passenger revenue), American hoped that the little new supply it introduced would be international.

“As we bring capacity back, there’s probably 1% of consolidated capacity or more coming out of regional, which will largely be on the domestic side,” Chief Financial Officer Devon May said on an earnings call in October. “The rest of the growth, I think, will be relatively evenly distributed, maybe a little more international than domestic.”

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