American Airlines has applied for seven US-Brazil frequencies for new service between Miami and Curitiba and Porto Alegre, just a week after it received approval for a new Sao Paulo flight.
The Fort Worth-based Oneworld alliance member plans to begin flights between Miami and Porto Alegre with a stop in Curitiba on 19 December, pending approval from the US Department of Transportation (DOT). It would operate the service on a 225-seat Boeing 767-300ER, according to its application on 12 July.
American is expected to receive approval for the new flights as the DOT has more than seven restricted - they cannot be used for service to either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo - US-Brazil frequencies available.
The carrier does not serve either city and no airlines fly between either Curitiba or Porto Alegre and Miami, Innovata schedules show.
American received DOT approval for a new daily flight between Los Angeles and Sao Paulo Guarulhos on 8 July. The service will be operated by a 247-seat Boeing 777-200 from 21 November.
The proposed Curitiba and Porto Alegre service comes as the airline has been steadily increasing capacity to Brazil. Available seat kilometres are up nearly a third to 738 million since July 2012 and 4.7% year-to-date, according to Innovata FlightMaps Analytics.
However, the new flights are understood to be taking a toll on unit revenues. Competitor TAM cited new service between Brazil and the USA for declines in passenger yields on the routes in its first quarter earnings this year.
TAM plans to join Oneworld during the second quarter of 2014.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
