Carriers such as Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Iberia and SAS have adjusted their summer schedules to reflect the changing priorities of travellers. European airlines are pulling out of major US cities such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago as they redirect flights to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean, where demand is huge.
The decision to reduce flights was prompted by a sharp drop in bookings, growing concerns among European travellers about security and border restrictions, as well as growing political discontent linked to President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
According to the updated schedules for summer 2025, Lufthansa has quietly reduced frequencies on its routes to New York, Miami and Chicago, three of the airline’s most important destinations in the US. Agencies in Frankfurt and Munich report that interest in American cities has declined, with many travellers turning their attention to southern Europe, North Africa or South East Asia. Lufthansa is redirecting wide-body aircraft to markets showing stronger future bookings, including India, Japan and Greece.
British Airways has suspended flights to Las Vegas and reduced its operations to Orlando and Philadelphia. The decision comes after a decline in bookings by British travellers, particularly those planning leisure trips to the United States. Instead, there is growing interest in holiday destinations in Europe and the Middle East. British Airways has already added additional flights to cities such as Athens, Malaga and Dubai using aircraft originally scheduled for US routes.
Air France has discontinued service to Seattle and reduced flights to Washington for the coming summer. While the airline continues to fly to New York, Atlanta and other major hubs, its presence in secondary American cities is clearly shrinking. French travelers are changing their focus. Agencies in Paris and Marseille note that clients who once chose American destinations are now opting for more nearby options, such as Portugal, Tunisia and Italy.
KLM reduces flights to San Francisco and Boston. Travelers are expressing frustration with visa delays, travel restrictions and the overall unpredictability. KLM has reacted by reallocating capacity to better performing routes in Asia and expanding short-haul European flights. Additional flights have already been added to destinations such as Bangkok, Istanbul and Split, replacing transatlantic service that has become harder to fill.
Iberia has postponed the planned launch of a new route to Dallas and reduced services between Madrid and Chicago. The airline has transferred these long-haul aircraft to other parts of its network, particularly in Latin America and Southern Europe, where demand remains stable or is growing. Instead of transatlantic travel, customers are booking holidays to Mexico, Colombia and coastal cities in Spain and Portugal. Iberia is responding directly to these preferences by increasing flights to Bogota, Buenos Aires and Lima, while strengthening service on key European routes.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has cancelled its routes from Oslo to Newark and from Copenhagen to Los Angeles. In Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, travel agents report that interest in visiting the US has dropped sharply. Security concerns, political developments and travel logistics are contributing to the trend. More and more travellers are booking travel within Europe, with strong demand reported for Spain, Croatia and Greece.
According to a detailed report cited by Bloomberg, travel from Europe to the United States has been reduced by 10% for the summer season of 2025. The data, compiled by Tourism Economics – a division of Oxford Economics – shows that international bookings to the US fell by 9.5% year-on-year in May, with larger declines forecast for June and July at 10.8% and 13% respectively.
European Airline Route Cuts to the US in 2025
| Airline | Routes Cut/Reduced | Type of Cut | Reason for Cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa | New York (JFK), Miami, Chicago | Reduced frequencies | Soft U.S. demand; shifting focus to Asia and Europe |
| British Airways | Las Vegas (cancelled), Orlando, Philadelphia | Route cancellation and reductions | Weak leisure bookings; rising demand for Mediterranean and Gulf |
| Air France | Seattle (cancelled), Washington D.C. | Route cancellation and reduction | Weaker demand; reallocation to North Africa |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | San Francisco, Boston | Reduced frequencies | Falling U.S. interest; stronger performance in Asia and Europe |
| Iberia | Dallas (shelved), Chicago | Route launch paused and reduction | Low demand; better yield in Latin America and Europe |
| Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) | Oslo–Newark (cancelled), Copenhagen–Los Angeles (cancelled) | Route cancellations | Decline in U.S. interest from Nordic countries |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Zurich–San Francisco (seasonal cut) | Suspended for Summer 2025 | Weak forward bookings; stronger intra-Europe demand |
| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon–Chicago | Reduced frequencies | Aircraft reallocation to Brazil and West Africa |
| Finnair | Helsinki–Dallas (suspended), Miami (cut) | Full suspension | Long-haul restructuring; U.S. demand underperforming |
| Austrian Airlines | Vienna–Los Angeles | Route suspension | Insufficient demand; focus shifted to Central Asia and Tel Aviv |
| ITA Airways | Rome–San Francisco | Reduced frequencies | Demand shifted to Middle East and North Africa |
| LEVEL (IAG) | Barcelona–Boston | Route cancellation | Market not meeting profitability targets |
New European Airline Routes to Canada and the Caribbean in 2025
| Airline | New Routes to Canada/Caribbean (2025) | Region | Type of Addition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air France | Paris – Ottawa (new service) | Canada | Brand new route |
| British Airways | London Gatwick – Toronto (seasonal expansion) | Canada | Seasonal expansion |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt – Montreal (increased frequencies); Frankfurt – Halifax (resumed) | Canada | Frequency increase and resumed route |
| KLM | Amsterdam – Calgary (new summer route) | Canada | New seasonal launch |
| Iberia | Madrid – Havana (relaunched); Madrid – Punta Cana (new seasonal) | Caribbean | Relaunch and new seasonal |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Zurich – Vancouver (new summer service) | Canada | New seasonal route |
| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon – Toronto (increased capacity); Lisbon – Cancun (added frequencies) | Canada & Caribbean | Capacity and frequency expansion |
| Condor | Frankfurt – San Juan, Puerto Rico (new route) | Caribbean | New route launch |
| Virgin Atlantic | Manchester – Montego Bay (resumed seasonal service) | Caribbean | Seasonal resumption |
New Airline Routes to Mexico and Brazil in 2025
| Country | Airline | New Routes (2025) | Type of Addition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Air France | Paris – Cancun (increased summer service) | Increased service |
| Mexico | Iberia | Madrid – Guadalajara (new direct route) | Brand new route |
| Mexico | KLM | Amsterdam – Mexico City (resumed seasonal) | Resumed seasonal |
| Mexico | TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon – Cancun (added frequencies) | Frequency expansion |
| Mexico | Virgin Atlantic | Manchester – Cancun (new seasonal) | New seasonal route |
| Brazil | Lufthansa | Frankfurt – Belo Horizonte (new route) | New route launch |
| Brazil | Air France | Paris – Fortaleza (seasonal relaunch) | Seasonal relaunch |
| Brazil | ITA Airways | Rome – São Paulo (added frequencies) | Frequency expansion |
| Brazil | Turkish Airlines | Istanbul – Brasília (new long-haul service) | Brand new long-haul |
| Brazil | Qatar Airways | Doha – Rio de Janeiro (resumed nonstop service) | Route resumption |
