New nonstops and returning flights spur optimism in leisure travel
The Indianapolis International Airport (IND) will soon welcome a new nonstop flight, and two revived flights with American Airlines starting this summer. In June, American Airlines will offer a new nonstop flight out of Indianapolis to Orlando (MCO), and will resume nonstop service to Los Angeles (LAX) and relaunch a nonstop flight to Boston (BOS) in May and June, respectively.
These announcements are matching a trend across the airline industry, as domestic leisure travel is in demand and spurring the launch of new nonstop flights and restarting others that had been halted due to the impact of the global pandemic.
The American Airlines flight to Orlando will take off on Saturdays weekly, starting on June 5. On June 3, American will launch its nonstop flight out of Indianapolis to Boston, a route originally announced in January 2020 but put on hold as the global pandemic emerged. Additionally, American will resume its previously operated nonstop flight to Los Angeles out of Indy on May 6.
“Each month as we’ve turned the corner into 2021, we’ve announced new nonstop flights,” said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “Now we’re also seeing previously announced or operated flights reemerge. That’s a good sign, and we’re optimistic as leisure travel rejuvenates the industry.”
Based on current customer demand projections across its network, American intends to operate a schedule with domestic capacity almost equal to 2019. American’s launch from Indy to Orlando is in response to increased leisure travel demand.
“We are thrilled to offer more nonstop service from Indianapolis just in time for summer,” said Brian Znotins, American Airlines vice president of network planning. “Whether they’re flying to Orlando, Boston, Los Angeles, or any of the existing routes we offer from IND, we look forward to welcoming more Indy travelers to fly with us and further connecting them to our global network.”