American again delays relaunch of Phoenix-Heathrow nonstops

American Airlines will delay the relaunch of its nonstop flights between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and London Heathrow until winter.

The news was part of a larger announcement of adjustments to American’s international schedule to “match low demand resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.”

“Now, as demand has significantly diminished due to COVID-19, we have to be nimble, creating the network that our customers desire,” Brian Znotins, American’s vice president of network planning, said in a statement issued by the airline.

Phoenix customers who wish to

fly

American to London can still do so. They just have to connect through Dallas or Miami.

American had initially anticipated resuming nonstop flights from Phoenix to London on Oct. 25. It was the first of the Sky Harbor airlines providing nonstop service to Europe to announce a prospective return date.

British Airways, which also flies from Phoenix to Heathrow, has not announced a return plan yet. Neither have Condor and Lufthansa, which were scheduled to offer seasonal nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany.

“We know there is an enormous demand for those flights, and we look forward to seeing their return,” said Deborah Ostreicher, assistant aviation director for Sky Harbor.

Though decreased demand presents the largest obstacle for airlines, the return of nonstop service to Europe is also stalled by President Donald Trump’s March 11 travel proclamation. That order requires passengers traveling from the Schengen area of Europe, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China and Iran to route through U.S. 13 airports for additional screening.

Phoenix airports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of State continue to advise against international travel, but airlines are already preparing for next summer’s international travel season.

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