For travelers dreaming of sampling pizza in Naples, touring the frescoes of Florence, visiting the museums of Rome, and sipping endless Aperol Spritzes overlooking the Adriatic Sea in summer 2025, there’s good news: American Airlines is adding additional flights to Italy next year.
American Airlines recently announced plans to add service from the United States to Venice and Naples, two increasingly popular Mediterranean destinations. It also bumped up the start date for two previously announced seasonal routes to Rome. Together, the changes mark the carrier’s largest-ever summer in Italy.
Here’s what travelers need to know about American Airlines’ Italy expansion plans for summer 2025.
Roughly 215 million people visited Italy in Summer 2024—an increase of about 1.6 percent compared to 2023. Airlines are betting that Summer 2025 will also see an increase in demand and thus are scheduling for it.
In fact, visitors to Rome are expected to nearly double next year, in part due to the Jubilee, a Catholic tradition dating back to the 1300s that is marked by pilgrimages and ceremonies. It’s hosted every quarter century in Rome and lasts throughout the entire year.
With Rome likely to see big crowds, next year will be a good time to explore Italy beyond the capital. United announced a new flight to Sicily for next summer, and four of the seven new European routes Delta recently announced will go to Italy next summer, including new service to Naples, Rome, Milan, and Catania.
Though American Airlines previously announced one new route to the land of la dolce vita—Miami to Rome—it’s not stopping there. The two new American Airlines Italy routes are:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Naples International Airport (NAP): daily starting May 6 on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE): daily starting June 5 on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
American rolled out its first route to Naples in 2024 (from Philadelphia). With the forthcoming route from Chicago, the airline will offer more seats to Naples than any other U.S. airline. The third largest city in the country is famous for its historic center, where landmarks like the Naples Cathedral and Castel dell’Ovo reflect centuries of art and architecture.
It’s also celebrated for Neapolitan pizza, particularly the Margherita, which was invented here. Naples is the gateway to the scenic Amalfi Coast, home to eye-popping cliffside towns like Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.
The Dallas to Venice route will complement an existing route from Philadelphia to Venice, the ever-popular lagoon city and World Heritage site best known for its winding canals, romantic gondolas, and lively piazzas.
Venice is on a major mission to combat overtourism, having banned large cruise ships and recently added a new entry fee aimed at day-trippers that will continue into 2025.
Additionally, American Airlines unveiled plans earlier this fall to move up the start date for a new route from Miami to Rome. Now, the daily service will start on June 5 instead of July 5. The carrier will also add a second daily flight from Philadelphia to Rome, starting June 5 as well.
Tickets for the new (and expanded) routes will be available starting November 4 on aa.com and American’s mobile app.
The news comes two months after the Fort Worth, Texas–based carrier announced its summer 2025 schedule, with plans to roll out five new (or returning post-pandemic) flight paths. Beyond the previously mentioned Miami to Rome route, others include new flights from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Athens, Greece; Chicago, Illinois, to Madrid, Spain; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to both Edinburgh, Scotland, and Milan, Italy.
