Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine February/March 2024 Digital Issue
APPLETON, WIS. – American Airlines announced it will begin nonstop flights from Appleton International Airport (ATW) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) starting June 6, 2024. The new flights will provide daily service to DFW with flights departing ATW every morning. This is the third non-stop route expansion announced by the Appleton airport this year.
“This is a significant expansion for business travelers seeking a fast, direct route to Dallas and beyond,” said Abe Weber, Appleton Airport Director. “American Airlines has been servicing the Appleton airport since July 2017 and this is their first direct route expansion since November 2020.”
Additionally, Weber confirmed the non-stop American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT) will move from seasonal to year-round operation. That flight began service in November 2020 as a seasonal route in winter.
“American is thrilled to offer the only nonstop service from ATW to Texas, linking northern Wisconsin to our hub at DFW where we’ll operate more than 850 daily flights next summer to more than 230 destinations,” said Joe Sottile, American Airlines Director of Domestic and Short-Haul International Network Planning. “When combined with now year-round service to our CLT hub and our longstanding service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), American is excited to offer convenient connectivity for ATW travelers to destinations across the U.S. and around the world.”
“Our primary goal is to offer travelers in Northeast Wisconsin a fast, convenient way to connect to the world through Appleton,” Weber said. “Being able to offer nonstop flights to major hubs like Dallas/Ft. Worth only positions the Fox Cities as a progressive location for business and future economic development.”
With this expansion, the Appleton airport offers 18 nonstop destinations. More than 285 domestic destinations are accessible with one additional stop; travelers can access more than 90 international destinations with one stop.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Appleton airport is the fastest-growing airport in Wisconsin and is the state’s third busiest behind Madison and Milwaukee.
To announce this route expansion, the team at the Appleton Airport held a special press conference complete with live horses, two mini donkeys named Walker and Texas Ranger, a rodeo roper, and the theme from the “Dallas” television show. Travelers entering and leaving the airport stopped to pet the animals and join the festivities.