American Adds International Route from Pittsburgh to Punta Cana

American Airlines is adding another international route from Pittsburgh starting next winter to one of the Caribbean’s most popular vacation spots.

American announced Wednesday it will begin seasonal, nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), Dominican Republic, starting on Dec. 6. American will operate the route on Saturdays through April 11, 2026, with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

American will open sales for its nonstop flights between Pittsburgh and Punta Cana this Saturday. Flights can be booked at AA.com.

This marks the first time in over a decade that a network carrier has offered scheduled nonstop flights from Pittsburgh to Punta Cana. Delta Air Lines previously operated the route until August 2015. Currently, tour operators Apple Vacations and Vacation Express provide weekly nonstop charter flights to Punta Cana, operated by Allegiant Air.

“American Airlines is an important partner and their continued growth in Pittsburgh with today’s Punta Cana announcement and new nonstop service to Los Angeles starting April 4 demonstrates the strong air service demand here,” said Bryan Dietz, Senior Vice President, Air Service and Commercial Development, at PIT. “These new nonstop options are key markets for travelers in our region and we are excited to keep expanding our nonstop options from Pittsburgh.”

Pittsburgh-Punta Cana is one of five new routes American is adding to the Caribbean next winter which also includes Indianapolis, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham to Punta Cana and Oklahoma City to Cancun, Mexico. Additionally, American is expanding service for leisure travelers to numerous markets in Europe, Hawaii and South America next winter.

“American’s comprehensive global network is designed to give customers more access to the destinations they want to visit,” Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning said in a statement. “Together with new routes, more flights on popular routes and extended seasons to major destinations, American’s schedule is designed for travelers to get away to sun, sand and more next winter.”

An American 737-800 lands at PIT on March 9, 2025. American will utilize its 172-seat Boeing 737-800s on its new PIT-PUJ route when it begins service on Dec. 6, 2025. (Photo by Evan Dougherty)

Punta Cana has risen in popularity with U.S. travelers in recent years for its all-inclusive resorts, affordability and relaxing atmosphere. In 2024, the Dominican Republic welcomed a record-breaking 11 million visitors, with Punta Cana experiencing a nearly 42 percent increase in non-resident stopover visitors since 2019, according to data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana International expects tourism to grow an additional 8 percent in 2025.

The addition of Punta Cana represents the latest increase in service to the Caribbean by American from PIT. In December 2023, American resumed nonstop, seasonal service to Cancun for the first time since 2018 and operated flights through March 2024. American resumed its Cancun service in November 2024 and recently extended its season through May.

American is scheduled to resume its nonstop Pittsburgh-Cancun flights for next winter on Nov. 8, 2025, in addition to its new Punta Cana service starting in December.

With the introduction of flights to Punta Cana, American now serves 13 destinations nonstop from PIT, which includes daily nonstop flights to Los Angeles starting on April 4. Last served by American in 2017, the Pittsburgh-Los Angeles route restores network carrier service to the market and adds one-stop connections beyond L.A. to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.

Additionally, American’s Oneworld Alliance partners, Alaska Airlines and British Airways, provide nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Seattle and London Heathrow, respectively. British Airways will upgrade its London service to seven days a week starting March 31 while Alaska Airlines will resume its second daily flight to Seattle on May 15.