American Airlines to launch direct Prague to Philadelphia route in 2026

American Airlines announced Thursday it will add seasonal service to Central Europe for the summer 2026 travel season. The airline aims to attract European river cruise tourists.

Brian Znotins, American’s senior vice president of network and schedule planning, told CNBC that the airline’s decision reflects strong demand for international travel, especially to Europe, which is outperforming domestic travel markets.

“With Prague and Budapest service from Philadelphia, many customers already fly into one city and out of the other for Danube River cruises and other tours,” Znotins said.

The Prague and Budapest routes will operate out of Philadelphia International airport, offering travelers increased options to explore Central Europe. Both popular international routes were discontinued during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to Central Europe, American Airlines is launching its first Dallas Fort Worth flights to Athens, Greece, and will introduce year-round nonstop service between Miami and Milan, Italy for a total of five new European routes.

The regular seasonal service will be operated daily from May 21 to Oct. 5, 2026. The new flight offering expands Václav Havel Airport's long-haul flight offering to North America.

“We firmly believe that the route will be successful and beneficial for both Czech passengers and tourists and business travellers heading to Prague,” said Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors.

In May of 2024, Delta resumed flights to Prague from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Amerian’s new flight to Budapest represents the first connection to Hungary from the U.S.