American Airlines is expanding its service to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands with new flights from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD), beginning Dec. 21, according to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and airline officials.
The carrier will operate year-round service from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas using a 176-seat Boeing 757. In addition, American will offer a seasonal route from Chicago O’Hare to St. Thomas using a 128-seat Airbus A319.
Scheduled DFW departures are set for 10:35 a.m., arriving in St. Thomas at 5:35 p.m. The return service from St. Thomas to Dallas/Fort Worth will depart at 1:50 p.m., arriving at 5:20 p.m. The Chicago service will leave ORD at 8:20 a.m. and arrive in St. Thomas at 3:15 p.m., while the St. Thomas–Chicago flights are scheduled to depart at 4:30 p.m. and arrive in Chicago at 7:15 p.m.
Joseph Boschulte, nominee for commissioner of tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands, said American’s expansion demonstrates confidence in the destination and will help strengthen air connections to both St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Alfredo Gonzalez, American Airlines’ managing director for the Caribbean, noted that the new routes will boost travel and tourism to St. Thomas while giving local travelers easy one-stop access to the airline’s wider networks from its Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago hubs. He added that American has identified growth opportunities in the Caribbean and plans to continue expanding in the region this year with additional routes, frequencies and destinations.
The new service is expected to enhance visitor access and support the islands’ broader tourism recovery by offering more convenient schedules and greater connectivity from key U.S. gateway cities.