American Airlines’ origins go back more than 95 years. The carrier was established in the late 1920s through the cooperation of several small US airlines operating under the American Airways name. The modern American Airlines brand was formally established in 1935 after businessman E.L. Cord acquired and renamed the company. Its early network mainly focused on domestic trunk routes, including services between New York and Chicago, and was operated with aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3.
American entered international markets in the mid-1940s. In 1945, the airline created American Overseas Airlines, which enabled it to begin transatlantic operations and establish a presence beyond North America. Since then, the carrier has steadily expanded its long-haul reach. Today, the 
Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier serves more than 350 destinations across around 60 countries and territories.
These Are American Airlines’ Top International Destinations By Frequency
In recent years, the carrier has announced several new international routes. For summer 2026, the carrier has announced seven new transatlantic routes, adding new services to Edinburgh, Budapest, Prague, Athens, Milan, and Zurich. At the same time, it has continued to expand aggressively across leisure markets in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In fact, during the winter season, American is operating more than 430 peak daily departures to 97 destinations across the region. In the current month alone, it has scheduled over 2.3 million round-trip seats between the United States and these markets.
Unsurprisingly, Cancun is American’s busiest international destination by frequency. The carrier entered the market in 2016, initially launching service from Raleigh—Durham, Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Kansas City. Since then, its presence has expanded significantly. It now operates flights to the Mexican sun destination from nearly 20 airports. According to Cirium data, the airline has scheduled more than 2,600 one-way flights to Cancún during the first quarter of 2026. Toronto is the airline’s second-busiest international destination. American has served the city since 1941, when it launched its first international service between Buffalo and Toronto.
Today, the airline operates flights to Toronto from eight hubs. It is worth noting that the 
New York JFK–Toronto route, which the carrier introduced in 2023, will be suspended in May. Furthermore, 
London Heathrow is American’s third-busiest international market. The airline launched the route in 1991 and has maintained consistent service since. For the first quarter of 2026, American has scheduled more than 1,500 flights to Heathrow. Dallas/Fort Worth accounts for the largest share, with up to four daily departures, while New York JFK follows with up to three daily flights during the same period.
American Airlines Expands Caribbean And Mexico Network Ahead Of Winter
Indeed, the 
oneworld alliance member has continued to expand across leisure-focused international markets. This winter, travelers have access to more sun destinations across Mexico and the Caribbean. The airline has seen consistent demand across these markets, particularly in the Bahamas. From February 14, American is launching the only nonstop service between the United States and Bimini, Bahamas.
The route will be operated by Envoy Air on behalf of the carrier, with three weekly round-trip flights from Miami on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, using Embraer 175 aircraft equipped with a premium cabin. American will now serve seven destinations in the Bahamian archipelago. Its existing network includes North Eleuthera, Freeport, George Town, Governor’s Harbour, Marsh Harbour, and Nassau. In addition, the airline has increased capacity on select Bahamas routes.
For the winter season, Miami–Marsh Harbour and Miami–North Eleuthera services have both been expanded to three daily flights. Beyond the Bahamas, the airline has continued to build out its leisure network across Mexico and the Caribbean. American is operating a daily seasonal service between Chicago and Querétaro through January 5. It has also increased Philadelphia–Aruba service to twice daily and expanded Philadelphia–St. Maarten from weekly to daily flights. In addition, the carrier has launched a new service from Philadelphia to Santo Domingo.
How American Airlines Has The Largest Seat Capacity In The World
The carrier ranks first by this metric.
American Airlines’ Expanding European Network And What Could Come Next
Looking ahead to next summer, American Airlines is continuing to expand its international network, particularly in Europe. The carrier is launching new services to Prague and will introduce the only nonstop route from the United States to Budapest, both operated from Philadelphia. In addition, it is adding new routes to several popular leisure destinations, including Athens and Zurich from Dallas/Fort Worth, and Milan Malpensa from Miami.
Furthermore, American Airlines might return to Dubrovnik in the future. As previously reported by Simple Flying, Dubrovnik Airport has confirmed discussions with the airline, potentially starting a new route from 
Chicago O’Hare. The airport has expressed interest in securing additional nonstop US service; currently, United Airlines is the only US airline flying to the city from New York. That said, American has previously served the Croatian city.
The airline launched a 
Philadelphia–Dubrovnik route in summer 2019, operating up to three weekly flights with Boeing 767-300 aircraft. Prior to the pandemic, it had planned to increase the service to daily frequencies, but the route was suspended and later withdrawn following the global downturn in travel. During its initial season, the service carried nearly 18,000 passengers and achieved average load factors above 80%, indicating solid demand.
Indeed, demand for travel between the United States and Croatia has continued to grow in recent years. While the oneworld alliance member has not confirmed any plans, the route’s past load factors and sustained growth show why Dubrovnik is on the radar for American’s transatlantic expansion.
