American Airlines Casablanca: Why the Philadelphia Flight Never Took Off

American Airlines had presented the service as one of the major new additions to its international schedule for summer 2020. The first flight was scheduled to depart from Philadelphia on June 4, 2020.

On Bladi.net : article 122373

The route was supposed to operate three times a week on a Boeing 757 until September 8. American Airlines said at the time that it would become the only US airline offering a nonstop flight to Casablanca and would, at the same time, enter the African continent.

The objective extended beyond the Moroccan market alone. Thanks to Royal Air Maroc joining the Oneworld alliance, American passengers were expected to continue their journey from Casablanca to Marrakech, Lagos, Accra and several other African destinations.

Bookings were scheduled to open as early as August 2019. American Airlines’ network planning chief even said that the route was only “the beginning” of the airline’s expansion in Africa.

Covid buries the project

The flight never had time to take off. In July 2020, faced with the collapse in traffic caused by the pandemic, American Airlines significantly reduced its international network.

Casablanca was then placed on the list of destinations the airline would no longer serve. American Airlines made a point of clarifying that the Philadelphia–Casablanca route would not launch as announced, ruling out the idea of a simple postponement of a few months.

In an article published on July 24, 2026, Simple Flying now lists Casablanca among the fifteen transatlantic destinations abandoned by American Airlines.

Since the cancellation, the US airline has announced no new schedule and has never restored the nonstop route to its timetables. It continues to sell trips to Casablanca with a connection, notably through its partnership with Royal Air Maroc, but no American Airlines aircraft directly links Philadelphia with Morocco.

On Bladi.net : article 121620

The route announced with great fanfare in 2019 was supposed to symbolize American Airlines’ arrival in Africa. Ultimately, it will remain one of the few international routes the airline scheduled and marketed without ever operating its inaugural flight.