American Airlines, one of the major airlines in United States will end its service to Oakland, California, on June 3 becoming the first U.S. carrier to say it would permanently exit a city because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oneworld Alliance carrier’s last flight from Oakland (OAK), AA2964, is scheduled to depart for Phoenix (PHX) at 12:41 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to American’s website. It will be operated with a Bombardier CRJ700. The American Airline spokeswoman Nichelle Tait confirmed that the airline will permanently end service to Oakland. The airline will continue to serve nearby San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC) airports.
The travellers whose flights to Oakland are cancelled have several options. They can get a refund for their tickets or change to another flight to San Francisco or San Jose without a fee.
Nearly every U.S. airline has suspended service to destinations due to the crisis. With passenger numbers at historic lows, the U.S. Department of Transportation has allowed carriers to suspend flights to select airports within the rules laid out in the coronavirus aid package, also known as the CARES Act.
Some carriers have gone big, like JetBlue Airways, suspending flights to more than 20 airports across the country. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines has maintained service to all of the U.S. cities on its map. American has suspended flights to seven cities, including three airports in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and three in Hawaii.
No airline, however, has said it will not return to a U.S. airport after Sept. 30, when CARES Act air service rules lift.
American Airlines can end service to Oakland because the airport is in the same metropolitan region as other major airports. The DOT allows airlines to consolidate flights in multi-airport regions like California’s Bay Area to as few as one facility without approval.
The airline previously suspended service between Oakland and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) due to the Boeing 737 MAX grounding last July, but continued to fly to the city from its Phoenix hub.
Tags: American Airlines
