AMERICAN AIRLINES ANNOUNCES NEW ROUTE FROM MADRID TO DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL IN MAY

American Airlines today announced it will begin a daily nonstop service between Madrid (MAD) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), starting May 2, 2009. The new service will complement American's existing two daily non-stop Spanish flights between Madrid - Miami and Barcelona - New York JFK.

American will fly the new route with Boeing 767-300 aircraft in a two-class layout, offering a total of 225 seats, of which 30 are Next Generation Business Class seats. Designed to give passengers more comfort, flexibility and privacy, American's new Business Class features innovative, fully adjustable motorised lie-flat seats, with favourite position memory capability, in a 2-2-2 configuration, a personal in-flight entertainment device with audio and video on demand, state-of-the-art cabin lighting and sleek, ergonomically designed overhead bins.

American's Dallas/Fort Worth hub is an important gateway to the US with more than 745 daily departures to over 150 non-stop destinations, across the Americas and the Caribbean, flown by American and its regional affiliate American Eagle.

"Our new Madrid - Dallas/Fort Worth service further demonstrates American's commitment to the Spanish market", commented Craig Kreeger, American's Senior Vice President - International. "We are building on the success of our Madrid to Miami service, which has recently seen the introduction of larger 777-200 aircraft and our Barcelona - New York JFK service which began in April this year. The Madrid - Dallas/Fort Worth route will greatly benefit customers wishing to travel to North Texas or to the many destinations across the Americas and the Caribbean which they can connect to at our Dallas/Fort Worth International hub."

American's new Madrid - Dallas/Fort Worth service also provides additional cargo capacity between Spain and the USA. The airline will also offer road transport links between Madrid and Bilbao, Valencia, Alicante and Zaragoza for freight arriving or departing on American's services. From DFW, freight shipments can connect to other destinations across the Americas and beyond.

The new Spanish route is the first since the introduction of the Barcelona - New York JFK service in April 2008. American already operates transatlantic services to Dallas/Fort Worth International from London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt.

Provisional schedules for the new routes are as follows:

"Connecting Dallas-Fort Worth to Madrid is more than simply providing new destinations and greater opportunities for our customers. It's just as much about connecting cultures and opening up economic opportunities that did not previously exist," said Gerard Arpey, American's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are making this investment with the belief that our Joint Business Agreement and antitrust immunity application with British Airways and Iberia will ultimately be approved. Once approved, we earnestly hope and believe that it will be the first of many other opportunities to enhance and expand connections between the United States and Europe allowing our customers greater access to the world and benefitting the greater Dallas/Fort Worth community."