American plans on 2 more Italian routes in the summer of 2025, improving service to Rome

It’s been nearly two months since American Airlines revealed its expected summer 2025 schedule drop, which saw the carrier launch five new routes to Europe for next year’s peak flying season.

Now, there’s more to come – and it’s good news for travelers with Italy on their minds.

Late next spring, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will launch new nonstop flights to Venice and Naples, two of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations.

American will also increase the opening date of two previously announced routes of the season to Rome, increasing its capacity in Italy to make the summer of 2025 its biggest ever season in the country.

Together, the new service will give travelers more options to get to Naples, which some say is the birthplace of pizza, and Venice, with its iconic canals and world-famous hotels.

The secret service in Italy was simple, suggested Brian Znotins, America’s senior vice president of network systems and planning, when he spoke to TPG in an exclusive interview this week.

“Our expectations continue to be exceeded in Southern Europe,” Znotins said.

It’s not just America. The “big three” US airlines (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines) will fly a staggering 54% more seats to Italy in 2024 compared to 2019, according to data from an aviation analytics company Cirium.

New Italian American routes for 2025

The two new Italian routes for the American summer season are as follows:

Adding the Chicago-to-Naples connection would give Italy’s third-largest city its second American nonstop — in addition to existing service from Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, there is an “addition by subtraction” in the new Dallas that does not stop in Venice. American is shifting its Venice summer route from its Chicago base to its Texas hub, Znotins said, meaning Chicago travelers will have easier access to the Amalfi Coast than the Adriatic coast.

Previous Italian service is a plus

Additionally, American is making two tweaks to its existing Italian summer flights. The new scheduled non-stop season from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) will start on June 5 instead of July, as previously planned.

It will do the same with its second daily non-stop flight from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to FCO.

Tickets for all these flights will go into American booking channels Nov. 4.

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Delay is the silver lining in supply chain delays

Ironically, it was the delays in the airline supply chain that made these new Italian planes possible in America, Znotins noted.

Last week, the carrier revealed the suspension of plans to retrofit its four-cabin Boeing 777-300ER, the largest aircraft in its fleet.

Those 20 jets are slated for interior face-lifts, including removing the Flagship First pods in favor of a higher number of business class seats.

But those plans are now on hold, American CEO Robert Isom said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call last week. He cited a backlog of American suppliers as a reason for the delay. The first Boeing 777-300ER now likely won’t be overhauled until late summer, Isom told analysts.

“We planned to have a number of 777-300s on the hanger next summer,” Znotins added to TPG. “With the delays that are happening now, those planes won’t be in the hanger as they should be.”

That means American could keep some of its 304-seat jets in service next summer, freeing up wide-body planes to fly customers across the Atlantic during the hottest summer months.

So, for now, the silver lining for customers is more service in Italy – and, of course, the longevity of the Flagship First cabin.

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