Summary The carrier's shortest service is between Chicago O'Hare and Milwaukee. While American Eagle's regional jets are vital in the 10 shortest markets, American's mainline equipment is also present. Historical data reveals even shorter routes operated previously.
American Airlines has the shortest overall stage length of the so-called US Big Three carriers, partly influenced by having the fewest long-haul services. Its typical flight covers just 720 nautical miles (1,333 km) . In contrast, Delta Air Lines is 826 nautical miles (1,530 km), and United Airlines is 921 nautical miles (1,706 km).
Regional units, which are vital for connectivity, are included in all three cases. American's 10 shortest routes I examined the one world member's 1,200+ routes between September and December 2024 using Cirium data to find the answer. The results are shown on the following map and table based on the Great Circle distance.
As always, the order may change based on real-world operations, and the results may differ at other times. Many other routes fell just short of inclusion. Obviously, American Eagle aircraft primarily operate very short routes.
This includes the shortest airport pair, Chicago O'Hare to Milwaukee, with O'Hare being the world's busiest airport for regional jets . However, American mainline equipment is deployed on three of the 10 links, all from Charlotte, the carrier's second-busiest hub. Want tickets for American's flights? Find them here! Would you like to be on them?.