dailynewsnblog
Travel demand between the United States and Europe has continued to expand; airlines are steadily adding new capacity and routes. In fact, according to OAG, the transatlantic corridor is now the world’s fifth-largest international air market and has grown by 55% over the past 15 years. US carriers account for the largest share of capacity, about 34% of the market this year. Several US carriers, including 
American Airlines, launched new European routes this year and have already announced additional destinations for 2026.
Notably, American Airlines may be preparing to add another destination to that list. According to aviation watchdog JonNYC, the airline is considering a new transatlantic service to Porto, Portugal, and would most logically operate from Philadelphia, its primary transatlantic connecting hub. The 
oneworld alliance member already serves Lisbon from Philadelphia, but expansion there is constrained by slot availability and policy restrictions.
Rising US Travel To Portugal Strengthens Case For Porto Services
Indeed, in recent years, interest in Portugal has strengthened across the US market. Data from Turismo de Portugal shows that around 2.3 million travelers from the United States visited Portugal last year. That demand is also reflected in airline capacity. According to aviation analytics provider Cirium, in the first half of this year, airlines operated more than 80% more flights between the US and Portugal than during the same period in 2019.
Lisbon remains the main destination, though Porto continues to account for a notable share of traffic. Data shows that about 9.4% of visitors to Portugal traveled to Porto in 2024. The city already has nonstop service from the US. Currently, United Airlines and TAP Air Portugal both operate daily flights from Newark. From May 21, 2026, Delta Air Lines will launch a daily summer seasonal service from New York JFK. Adding Porto would represent a logical expansion of American Airlines’ transatlantic network.
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Airlines That Operate Flights Between The US And Portugal (based on Cirium 2026 schedule data) |
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Airline |
Route(s) |
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American Airlines |
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Delta Air Lines |
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Azores Airlines |
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TAP Air Portugal |
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United Airlines |
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Congestion At Lisbon Shapes Airline’s Expansion Plans
There have also been reports suggesting that another potential option under consideration is a Boston–Porto service. The market is already served daily by TAP Air Portugal, meaning American would be competing directly with the Portuguese carrier. Boston has long been viewed as a strong market for Portugal due to its large Portuguese population. JetBlue has previously expressed interest in launching Portugal flights from Boston, but has cited gate constraints as limiting factors.
For now, 
Philadelphia remains the more realistic option for American. The airline already operates flights to Lisbon from the hub and has benefited from growing demand to Portugal. Expansion at Lisbon, however, remains difficult. The airport is highly slot-constrained, operates with a single runway, and demand for slots continues to exceed available capacity.
Long-time Simple Flying readers might recall that JetBlue has long been trying to expand at Lisbon, and all of its attempts have been blocked since 2023. Meanwhile, European carriers have retained broad access to US airports. Under these conditions, further expansion at Lisbon remains unlikely. Porto would offer an alternative way to grow Portugal capacity without waiting for a new Lisbon airport, which is not expected to open for at least another decade.
Why Lisbon Is Becoming A Major Hub For Transatlantic Travel From The US
The airport is becoming a dynamic hub.
American Continues European Network Expansion Next Summer
Furthermore, for next summer, American is continuing to expand its network across Europe. The airline is launching new services to Prague and will introduce the only nonstop route between the United States and Budapest. Both routes will be operated from the carrier’s Philadelphia hub.
American is also adding new European routes from other hubs. These include services to Athens and Zurich from Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as a new route to Milan Malpensa from Miami. Besides, the airline could also return to Dubrovnik in the future. As previously reported by Simple Flying, Dubrovnik Airport has confirmed discussions with the airline over a potential new route, possibly from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
The oneworld alliance member previously served Dubrovnik for one season in 2019, operating up to three weekly flights from Philadelphia using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The route was suspended and later withdrawn following the global downturn in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
