American Airlines will expand its long-haul network from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) next spring, returning to the U.S.-Japan market from its Midwest hub.
The year-round service to Tokyo Narita (NRT) will become American’s 11th long-haul destination from ORD when flights begin on March 27, 2027. The route will be operated daily using Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The service will boost American’s transpacific joint business with Japan Airlines (JAL), offering onward connections beyond NRT to destinations including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Taipei.
"Built on the strong foundation of our 100-year history in Chicago and an incredible partnership with Japan Airlines, this new service is a testament to our continued commitment to make our hub stronger, broaden choices for customers and keep Chicago competitive on the world stage," American CEO Robert Isom says.
The launch marks American’s return to the Chicago-Narita market after a seven-year absence. The carrier suspended the route in January 2020 and has not served the city pair since, despite Tokyo remaining one of Asia’s largest premium business markets.
The move means the airline will reenter one of the most competitive U.S.-Japan gateways. United Airlines operates daily flights between ORD and Tokyo Haneda, while All Nippon Airways (ANA) serves both Haneda and Narita. JAL also offers daily flights from both Tokyo airports to ORD.
Across the wider U.S.-Japan market, OAG Schedules Analyser data for July 2026 shows JAL as the largest airline by capacity, with almost 243,000 two-way seats, followed by ANA with about 221,000 and United Airlines with approximately 199,000. American ranks fifth with almost 89,000 seats, behind Delta Air Lines but ahead of LCC Zipair Tokyo.
The expansion comes as ORD continues operating under temporary FAA scheduling limits introduced for the 2026 summer season to reduce congestion during major airfield construction and improve operational reliability. The FAA imposed the restrictions after airlines requested more peak-hour operations than the airport could practically accommodate, allocating available slots largely according to historic schedules.
Despite those temporary constraints, OAG data shows American remains the airport’s second-largest airline, accounting for about 35% of departure seats in summer 2026, behind United’s 48% share. Overall departing capacity from ORD is scheduled to rise by about 10% year on year, increasing from about 31 million seats in summer 2025 to more than 34 million this summer.
American is also continuing to expand its domestic network from ORD. The carrier will launch service to Charlottesville, Virginia, in November and Ontario, California, in December, taking its ORD network to more than 150 U.S. destinations. Ontario complements the airline’s existing Southern California service to Los Angeles and Orange County, while Charlottesville fills another gap in its Midwest hub network.
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