American Eagle to Add New Routes From LAX

American Airlines, partially rebuilding its post-Sept. 11 service, today plans to announce new regional-jet flights from Los Angeles to four other cities early next year through its American Eagle regional unit.

The carrier will resume service from Los Angeles International Airport to Oakland and Phoenix with its 50-seat short-haul jets. American had canceled flights between the cities Oct. 1 as part of its overall massive reduction in service in response to the plunge in travel after Sept. 11.

American Eagle also will launch service from LAX to Sacramento and Albuquerque, and from San Jose to Phoenix. All of the new flights will start in early February or early March.

The additions will give American Eagle 85 daily departures from LAX, up from the current 60. They are designed to help American--the main division of AMR Corp.--boost its presence in California against the state’s two leading airlines, Southwest Airlines and UAL Corp.’s United Airlines.

The new service also is part of American’s effort to match the drop in passenger traffic with American Eagle’s smaller, less costly regional jets while maintaining a presence in those markets, said American Eagle President Peter Bowler.

The regional jets “give us a more appropriately sized airplane to meet demand in those markets,” Bowler said.

The same tactic is being used by US Airways and other major carriers in the aftermath of Sept. 11. For its part, American Eagle also is trying to replace many of its turboprop airplanes with the newer Embraer regional jets that provide more comfort and have a range of 1,500 miles, Bowler said.

American Eagle overall has 268 aircraft that provide about 1,400 daily flights to 130 cities.