Nearly 30 years after it last flew out of McClellan-Palomar Airport, American Airlines will be returning next year with twice-daily flights between Carlsbad and Phoenix.
The new nonstop, which will be flown under the American Eagle brand, will be operated by American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air using the 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft.
Outbound flights to Phoenix, which will start Feb. 13, will depart at 6:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
“We think it’s going to provide one-stop connections to others in the U.S. and Mexico, and all from Carlsbad,” said Jamie Abbott, director of airports for the county’s eight-airport system. “One of American’s goals is get folks to one of their hubs, and from there people can go from anywhere they service.”
He said that he expects the new route will allow travelers living in North County to no longer have to travel south to San Diego International Airport or north to John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
American Airlines echoed what Abbott said about the added convenience for North County residents planning to travel beyond Phoenix.
“American looks forward to connecting Carlsbad to our comprehensive global network starting next February,” it said in an emailed statement. “This new service will provide convenient one-stop connections to destinations across the United States and Mexico while bringing travelers from around the world to see all that Carlsbad has to offer.”
Abbott said that American Airlines last operated out of the Carlsbad airport between 1991 and 1997 when its American Eagle brand flew between Carlsbad and Los Angeles. The only other commercial airline to fly out of Palomar was United Express, which also few to Los Angeles, between 1996 and 2015.
