Direct flight to Chicago to boost American Airlines passenger volume in Barcelona by 15%

Barcelona (CNA).- American Airlines new direct link between Barcelona-El Prat airport and Chicago is expected to increase the airline's passengers in Catalonia by 15%. The new flight will start operating May 6th and will be offered alongside the current direct flights to Miami and New York. American Airlines also flies seasonally from Barcelona to Charlotte and Philadelphia. The Regional Sales Director of American Airlines in Spain and Portugal, José A. Blázquez, confirmed these figures in a press conference this Tuesday in the Catalan capital. Barcelona is a landmark destination for American tourists, said the U.S. Consul General, Marcos C. Mandojana, who highlighted the growing number of connections from Catalonia to his country. 

“This market works very well, and not only in summer,” said Blázquez, pointing out that the seasonal flights from Barcelona operate “from March to October”. These seasonal flights mainly target vacationers.

Blázquez said that American Airlines is not worried about the new flights being offered by competitors such as Level or Norwegian. These two airlines have recently announced new connections, starting in the next few months, to the U.S. and South America, including flights to New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Oakland or Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

“We promote a different kind of business model. We are offering assigned seats, meals, and a point system, among other services,” he stated, in contrast with the low-cost airlines. Blázquez said that American Airlines does not rule out an increase of its operations in Barcelona in the future although it is not currently planning to increase its number of new connections or extend seasonal flights to all year-round service.

U.S. Consul General, Marcos C. Mandojana, who also took part in the press conference, celebrated that Barcelona’s airport has had a “great year”. Mandojana pointed out that flights between the two countries have increased in line with a growing interest among tourists, students and businesspeople towards Catalonia.