American Airlines will bring nonstop service back to Naples, Florida, with flights from Naples Airport (APF) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) launching Dec. 2—offering Southwest Florida travelers a closer alternative to larger hubs.
By the time the weekend filings were in, it was clear American Airlines was no longer just talking about Naples. The airline has moved to restart commercial service later this year at Naples Airport (APF). a Gulf Coast airfield that hasn’t seen a major U.S. carrier in decades—and where residents have long asked for options closer to home.
The city of Naples confirmed on Tuesday that American’s new nonstop flights will begin on Dec. 2. The destination is Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), American’s second-busiest hub.
Bookings are already open for the Dec. 2 launch. Flights between Naples and CLT are listed on American’s website, with AAdvantage award redemptions starting at 8,500 miles one-way.
For travelers, the appeal is straightforward: APF sits near the coast and is minutes from Naples Beach. For a region that often has to route through Southwest Florida’s larger airports. the return of a true commercial option—however limited it may initially be—changes the day-to-day math of getting away.
The timing matters, too. Naples Airport Authority executive director Chris Rozansky said in a statement Tuesday, “We’ve been asked for years about the potential return of airline service. Travel doesn’t get more convenient for our residents and visitors than catching a flight out of Naples Airport.”
Commercial service will land after the city completes renovations to the airport’s 45-year-old terminal. That upgrade work has been ongoing since 2022.
Naples’ airport setup has been quiet for a long stretch. Over the past decade, the terminal has catered exclusively to general aviation flyers. Before that, it hosted smaller regional carriers. It’s been nearly 20 years since Delta Air Lines’ departure from APF marked the end of Naples flights on a big-name airline.
The new service is expected to be modest from the start: aviation analytics firm Cirium’s schedule data suggests American will operate just two to three daily flights to Charlotte.
The aircraft is small, built for efficiency on short hops. American plans to fly the route with an American Eagle Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet that seats 65 passengers.
Because Charlotte is a hub, the short flight could still expand options dramatically. The CRJ-700 hop can connect passengers to U.S. cities American serves from its major Charlotte hub, and also to European destinations American flies to from CLT—such as London, Paris, Rome and Athens.
Naples’ location helps explain why the announcement is landing with weight. APF is about 30 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). It’s also 17 miles from Marco Island—far shorter than the nearly 50-mile drive from RSW.
The city’s interest in the return of commercial flights is already on record. Earlier this month, Naples announced survey results showing 8 in 10 residents favored bringing back commercial flights to the airport, and noted that American was hoping to launch two to three daily flights by December.
There’s also a bit of history behind the decision. This isn’t American’s first go-around in Naples; the carrier previously served APF 25 years ago, in 2001.
For now, American’s presence in Southwest Florida looks like a carefully placed addition rather than a full-scale expansion. The airline already flies from Fort Myers to most of its hubs, including Charlotte—so the Dec. 2 Naples service appears designed to give travelers south of Fort Myers an alternative airport to the region’s main hub. without changing the broader structure overnight.
Even with just two to three daily departures, the message is hard to miss for a community that has waited a long time for a major-carrier comeback: on Dec. 2, the gates at Naples Airport will finally open again to scheduled commercial travel.
American Airlines Naples Airport APF Charlotte CLT AAdvantage Southwest Florida flights CRJ-700 airline service returns travel news
Finally, Naples gets a real flight??
So it’s nonstop to Charlotte right, not like Orlando or Miami? Kinda weird they couldn’t just do Tampa first. But hey if it’s closer than driving to a bigger airport I’m for it.
Wait this says Dec 2 but also “later this year”?? I’m confused. Is it restarting Naples flights or restarting American flights in general? Also 8,500 miles sounds like too good to be true, I bet there’s a catch.
About time. I heard they’re only doing CLT because American wants people to connect to Vegas or whatever… so not really “naples to anywhere,” it’s just a hub shuffle. Still, APF being near the beach is way better than schlepping through Fort Myers or RSW. Hope the terminal reno doesn’t take forever like everything else down here.