Direct flights to Punta Cana will begin this winter through American Airlines
A direct route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from Pittsburgh International Airport is launching this winter through American Airlines — for the first time in over a decade.
The service will be once per week on Saturday only, and it will start Dec. 6, American Airlines said. The Allegheny County Airport Authority said the nonstop service will operate through April 11, 2026 and utilize Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
One of the Caribbean’s most popular vacation spots, Punta Cana hasn’t had a direct network carrier route from Pittsburgh since August 2015 through Delta Air Lines, the authority said. As of now, tour operators Apple Vacations and Vacation Express provide weekly nonstop charter flights to Punta Cana through Allegiant Air.
Because to its all-inclusive resorts, affordability and relaxing atmosphere, the authority said Punta Cana has risen in popularity with U.S. travelers in recent years.
The Dominican Republic saw a record-breaking 11 million visitors last year, with Punta Cana experiencing a nearly 42 percent increase in nonresident stopover visitors since 2019, according to data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic. Tourism is expected to grow another 8 percent in 2025 in Punta Cana.
Flights are able to be booked through AA.com. The outbound flight will depart at 8 a.m. from Pittsburgh and arrive at 1:10 p.m. in Punta Cana, with the return flight departing at 2:10 p.m. from Punta Cana and arriving at 5:25 p.m. in Pittsburgh, the authority said.
“American Airlines is an important partner and their continued growth in Pittsburgh … demonstrates the strong air service demand here,” said Bryan Dietz, senior vice president of air service and commercial development at Pittsburgh International Airport.
American’s nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to Cancun is set to resume on Nov. 8, and daily nonstop flights from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles will start April 4. Including Punta Cana, American now serves 13 nonstop destinations from PIT, the authority said.
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
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