For first time in 25 years, American adds Charlotte service to SW Florida city
American Airlines plans to add nonstop flights from Charlotte to Naples, Florida in December, bringing commercial flights back to the Paradise Coast city for the first time in nearly 25 years.
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American will operate twice-daily nonstop flights between the southwest Florida destination and Charlotte Douglas International Airport beginning on Dec. 2, the Charlotte airport recently announced. The flights would be operated by American subsidiary PSA, using 65-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft.
“New nonstop service to our Charlotte hub will give customers in Southwest Florida convenient one-stop access to nearly 180 destinations worldwide,” the airline said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming customers onboard and continuing our collaborative partnership with the Naples Airport and community.”
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline’s officials first presented the plans in May at a Naples Airport Authority meeting. In a letter of intent, Jason Reisinger, American’s managing director of global network planning, said the flights could bring “substantial economic benefit to the local community.”
The Naples airport is currently used mostly for general aviation, with one commercial operator, JSX, offering seasonal flights to White Plains, New York.
A number of steps remain, including negotiation of a use agreement, facility improvements and approval of the Transportation Security Administration, according to American. An update is expected to be given at the Aug. 20 Naples Airport Authority board meeting.
The airline’s return would represent its first scheduled operation at Naples since the carrier’s service at the airport ended in 2001. Naples Airport has not offered commercial flights since 2017.
“We’ve been asked for years about the potential return of airline service,” Chris Rozansky, executive director of the Naples Airport Authority, said in a statement. “Travel doesn’t get more convenient for our residents and visitors than catching a flight out of Naples Airport.”
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American continues to offer thousands of daily flights to more than 350 destinations over 60 countries. Charlotte Douglas remains American’s second-largest hub, serving around 90% of all flights.
The airline provides flights to more than 170 destinations in 27 countries worldwide at CLT through its global network.
American’s new service that’ll connect Charlotte to Naples is the latest in a string of announcements. Earlier this year, the airline announced a new service that would connect the Queen City to central Pennsylvania.
American will begin flying nonstop from CLT to State College Regional Airport on Oct. 5. The service will operate twice daily for travelers and will be year-round.
Charlotte Douglas is the seventh-busiest airport in the world, according to preliminary rankings released in April by Airports Council International. The airport recorded 574,193 aircraft operations flights last year – a 4% decline from 2024, and 7% increase compared to 2023.
In addition to American’s new service, travelers will benefit from three new Florida routes this fall at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport.
Avelo Airlines is launching nonstop service to Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers. Each of the routes will be offering $49 one-way fares.
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM.
