American Airlines has launched seasonal service from Philadelphia International Airport to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Berlin and the north Italian city of Bologna.
The flights are the only direct service in North America to Dubrovnik and Bologna. American has launched service to mid-sized cities in Europe after years of cutbacks in response to a soft economy and high jet fuel prices.
Dubrovnik’s metro area is about the size of Wilmington but is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.
The Bologna’s metropolitan area has about 1 million people. The city is known for its cuisine, universities and culture. Due to its northern location, it is often downplayed in tour guides.
The best known of the three, Berlin, is a thriving city with a cultural heritage.
“These three cities are European treasures, and we are pleased that our partners at American Airlines continue to open convenient paths to new destinations,” said Airport CEO Chellie Cameron. “This new service is even more special as PHL is the only direct connection to Dubrovnik and Bologna from North America. This is tremendous for PHL.”
“With the addition of our new transatlantic routes launching today, American now connects customers traveling through Philadelphia to twenty destinations across Europe,” said Jim Moses, American Airlines vice president of PHL Hub Operations. “As our largest Northeast hub and transatlantic gateway, Philadelphia provides American the opportunity to reach and develop new markets like Dubrovnik and Bologna that are popular with travelers but haven’t been traditionally served from the U.S. market.”
Berlin, Bologna and Dubrovnik brings the total of non-stop international routes served from PHL to 38. Last month, American also added seasonal service to Edinburgh and on June 13 will re-launch seasonal flights to Halifax.
Philadelphia – Dubrovnik
The flight departs Philadelphia on Tuesday, Friday, Sunday. The Dubrovnik flight departs Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
Philadelphia – Berlin
The flight departs Philadelphia on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. The TXL-PHL flight departs Berlin Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.
Philadelphia – Bologna
The departs Philadelphia on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. The BLQ-PHL flight departs Bologna Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
The seasonal service to all three cities operates through September 29 on Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
