American Airlines cuts longest-ever flight from Philly

American Airlines permanently removed all future flights from Philadelphia to Doha, the capital of Qatar, from its schedule this week. The update follows a late February decision that suspended all Philadelphia-Doha flights until 2027, due to the flare in regional hostilities.

The airline’s flight to Doha held the title of the longest-ever flight departing from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), 14½ hours that covered approximately 6,798 miles.

“As part of an optimization of our network and fleet, American has made the difficult decision to discontinue service to Doha, Qatar (DOH). We will proactively reach out to impacted customers to offer them alternate travel arrangements and apologize for any inconvenience,” American spokesperson Bri Harper said in a statement emailed to The Inquirer.

The Philadelphia-Doha route originated in 2023 as part of an expanded code-share agreement — a policy that allows airlines to sell seats on flights operated by other airlines — between American and Qatar Airways, the leading carrier in the Middle East.

The companies first partnered in 2013 when Qatar Airways joined the now 16-member Oneworld airline alliance, featuring participants such as British Airways and Iberia. In 2017, public disputes emerged between American Airlines and Qatar Airways. Since some Middle East airlines receive government subsidies, they can operate certain routes at a loss and encroach on U.S.-operated flight routes. Yet, in 2020 the companies reconciled by renewing their code share, and an expanded agreement two years later gave American’s customers the ability to book travel on Qatar flights via Doha to and from 16 new countries.

To fill the vacancy left by American’s exit, Qatar Airways is returning to PHL and will start daily service to Doha beginning Aug. 1.

PHL chief commercial officer Kate Sullivan said flights from Philadelphia to Doha have been “an important economic generator” for the region.

“The PHL-DOH route also supports significant outbound and inbound business and tourism traffic — including visitors seeking advanced medical care — by bringing passengers from Doha and throughout Qatar Airway’s vast global network to our region.”

American anticipates flying 750,000 flights this summer. To meet Philadelphia’s demand, American recently launched nonstop service to additional cities in Europe, including Budapest, Hungary, and Prague, Czech Republic. For international flights, American’s PHL hub will offer nonstop service to 19 destinations across the Atlantic.

American is PHL’s largest air carrier, which conducts an average of 400 flights per day. It also ranks 10th in the city’s top employers, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited to update news that Qatar Airlines is returning to Philadelphia.