American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the United States, and its operations include both domestic, short-haul, and long-haul international services. The airline launched its shortest international route this year, as the airline commenced flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Bimini in the Bahamas on February 14.
This route analysis, according to Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, discloses the airline’s shortest international routes between August and December this year.
Miami International Airport (MIA) is an important base for American, and it flies nine out of ten of its shortest routes from this airport. Miami to Bimini commenced on February 14, with the short 64-mile (102 km) service taking just 35 minutes gate to gate in both directions. This service is the only international flight to Bimini, with other services only being domestic.
American’s second shortest international flight is to Freeport (FPO). The flight covers a distance of just 112 miles (179 km), with a flight time accumulating to 45 minutes each way. Freeport, also known as Grand Bahama International Airport, is served by American through its American Eagle brand with year-round flights to Miami, with seasonal services also added to Charlotte.
Other international flights at Freeport include Bahamasair to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO), WestJet with seasonal services to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), and Western Air to Fort Lauderdale.
The third longest route for American is that of Miami to Nassau , the busiest airport in the Bahamas. The route between the two airports covers a distance of 183 miles (292 km), with a flight time of around one hour in both directions. Other top routes include Miami to Varadero, Marsh Harbor, North Eleuthera, Santa Clara, Havana and Governor’s Harbor.
Narrowly being included in the top 10, the 10th and 11th shortest international routes in the American network depart from the carrier’s Arizona base at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). These two destinations are Tijuana and Hermosillo across the border in Mexico.
Overall, the airline’s international network is relatively small when compared to its wider network, with international flights including Phoenix to Cancun, Mazatlán, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, London Heathrow (seasonal), Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Monterrey, Tijuana (ends on August 3, 2026), and Manzanillo (seasonal).
The shortest international route from Phoenix is to Tijuana International Airport, and covers a distance of 295 miles (472 km). The flight time accumulates to one hour and 15 minutes gate to gate. The second longest route is that of Hermosillo, covering a distance of 304 miles (486 km) and has a flight time of one hour and 25 minutes.
This coming August, American Airlines will suspend its non-stop flights between Phoenix (PHX) and Tijuana (TIJ), ending the carrier’s shortest route to Mexico. This will leave just one international operator at Tijuana, that of Hainan Airline,s which operates a daily service between Beijing Capital (PEK) and Mexico City (MEX), with a technical stop in Tijuana. Fortunately for travelers looking to fly from Tijuana to China and beyond, they can board the flight from Tijuana. This may seem like a rather peculiar route for the Chinese airline to fly, but it likely does see demand for travelers from Southern California that can make the most of the Cross Border Xpress, which permits foot passengers from the US side, over the bridge and into the Tijuana Airport departure lounge. With American Airlines decision to stop flying to Tijuana, got me thinking – who could be the next airline to offer international flights from TIJ?
Why These Shortest International Routes Matter To American Airlines
The connectivity from Miami is strategically important for the carrier, as it serves as the primary gateway for travel to neighbouring countries in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean, and for the Bahamas, it supports the shared maritime security borders, economic interdependence via massive tourism, and joint law enforcement operations.
While the route to Tijuana will be shelved in August, the remainder of these routes are important to American for several reasons; the services to Hermosillo support cross-border trade and build regional economic ties while providing opportunities for leisure travel between the US and Mexico.
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