American adds 30 flights from Phoenix to boost legacy hub confidence

American Airlines (finally) shows love to its hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

Starting in November, the airline will add 30 more daily departures from PHX for the winter. This includes a brand new daily service from PHX to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), which will begin November 5, Jacksonville will become the airline’s fourth non-stop destination from Phoenix in Florida, along with Miami, Orlando and Tampa.

The Americans will deploy an Airbus A320 on a new route to Jacksonville, which will also be the first route from Phoenix to this Florida city.

Additionally, American will resume regional jet service from PHX to Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) on November 5. This flight is operated by SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of American Eagle. will operate on CRJ-700 aircraft on a daily, annual-round basis.

All told, the airline will offer 12% more daily flights than last winter, making it one of the largest winter schedules Americans have offered from Phoenix in nearly a year. decade.

That’s great news for Phoenix, which hasn’t necessarily seen as much growth as some other American Airlines hubs, such as Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Americans inherit Phoenix center from Tempe, Arizona-based US Airways during the merger in 2015and many analysts consider it the weakest link in the network (behind Philadelphia).

It’s clear that the local government is excited about American’s expansion, something the airport may have lobbied for over the past few years.

“The fact that Americans announce their biggest winter schedule in nearly a decade is great news and it really speaks to their continued faith in the Phoenix market. Chad Makovsky, director of air services for the City of Phoenix’s aviation department, said in a statement.

Today, Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth seem to get all the attention from Americans, as the airline continues to expand at these fortress hubs. In fact, earlier this month, the airline shared plans to grow its Charlotte operation to 800 daily departures. (For context, Phoenix will average 263 daily departures this winter.)

Increasing service from Phoenix in the winter seems to make sense, even if the additional flights don’t necessarily reroute through the Valley of the Sun. That’s because Phoenix is ​​a popular winter destination due to its mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

These latest additions join the newly opened service from Phoenix to Monterrey, Mexico, which took off in January.

American also faces competition in Phoenix from Southwest Airlines, which counts the airport as one of its operating bases. As such, part of this growth could be designed as a competitive response to the Dallas-based carrier.