American Airlines will begin operating an Airbus A319 out of Flagstaff Airport in May, increasing capacity on flights to Dallas-Fort Worth.
The new flight will offer additional options for passengers, including first class seats, and will nearly double the capacity of the route.
“The increase in seats for this route shows the ongoing growth of the northern Arizona market and the strength of our partnership with American Airlines,” said Flagstaff Airport Director Brian Gall. “We’re very excited that FLG will have scheduled service on a mainline aircraft for the first time ever.”
Mainline service refers to when an airline directly operates their primary fleet aircraft, which is distinct from regional carriers that bear the airline’s branding, but are flown and operated by subsidiaries.
SkyWest — a third-party operator — has been flying Canadian Regional Jets on the route. American Airlines will fully operate the new flights.
The smaller CRJs can struggle to generate lift and thrust at Flagstaff’s high altitude.
“In the summertime, we were limited on the hours,” Claire Harper, the Flagstaff Airport communications director. “The [CRJ] departure had to be early in the morning due to the air density because we do set sit at just above 7000 feet.”
Lower air density a higher-altitudes makes it more difficult to generate lift and thrust, requiring more runway for takeoff. The Airbus has greater surface area on its wings and higher-thrust engines, allowing for improved aerodynamics at high-altitude airports.
American Airlines first began flying to Flagstaff from Dallas in 2018, operating 1-2 flights a day. Harper said 85% of seats are filled on current flights, which is considered high demand for the industry.
“The Dallas route is served on a CRJ 700 which is a Canadian regional jet. Those have 65 seats,” Harper said. “The Airbus A319 on American currently has 128 seats.”
Harper said Piedmont — a subsidiary of American Airlines, who handles all ground operations at Flagstaff Airport — is making preparations to handle larger aircraft, such as the striping on the ramp, a new boarding ramp and a tug used to push back aircraft.
“Summer is just around the corner and travelers have told us they want more options to visit Flagstaff,” said Jordan Pack with American Airlines. “By introducing additional capacity between Flagstaff and our largest hub, we’re enabling greater access from destinations across the country – ranging from Miami to Washington, D.C., to New York and more.”
The airbus will operate the route from May 31 to October 31 to accommodate peak travel demand.
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