It's really something to see an airport that has no scheduled commercial service for an entire generation, only for it to come back. The same is to happen in Naples, Florida, where American will be flying non-stop routes starting this December, the first commercial airline service the city has seen in about 25 years.

This change will be significant for those who are used to flying in to Fort Myers and then taking the extra trip south to Naples or Marco Island. Meanwhile, there's another great redemption opportunity that's right there, too, for the points-obsessed early-arriving passenger.

The New Route: What's Truly Going to the Market?

Starting December 2, 2026, American Airlines will operate twice-daily nonstop flights between Naples Airport (APF) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). This route will be flown on a smaller regional aircraft, the Canadair Regional Jet 700, which is ideally suited for the size and distance of the route.

Geographically speaking: Southwest Florida International Airport, located in Fort Myers, has been the default airport for the area for decades, about 35 to 45 miles north of Naples. Fort Myers has significantly more direct routes for travel and continues to be the more convenient option for many Southwest Florida travelers. However, for those who are headed directly to Naples or Marco Island or the beach communities nearby, the extra 40 minutes that additional journey has always been an inconvenience. Anyone subscribed through Charlotte will find this totally taken away by American's new service.

No commercial flights have ever operated from Naples Airport in 25 years for various reasons

The decision to close Naples airport to commercial planes for two and a half decades wasn't a coincidence driven by the scheduling of flights. The two-and-a-half decades ban on commercial flight at Naples airport is no coincidence and is instead the result of the airport's transformation to meet the needs of private aviation. Over 100,000 aircraft operations are conducted each year, mostly corporate jets, charter flights and flight training operations. It's a bustling, well-used airport, but not one that has been integrated into the commercial airline network for a long time.

The launch of commercial service was not just a decision by American to re-enter the market with a service, and a decision to assign an aircraft. The airport at Naples is under a 75,000-pound limitation on the size of the aircraft that can land there, and it was a real operational challenge. American's original plans were to use the larger CRJ900 aircraft, but that jet is too heavy for the airport. The smaller CRJ700 was settled on by the airline and the route proceeded as planned.

Why Charlotte Makes Strategic Sense as the Connecting Hub

It's not coincidental that Charlotte is the other major airport on the route it's one of the busiest in the U.S. with hundreds of destinations on the domestic and international network of American. If American had selected a smaller, or less geographically distributed, connecting airport, you might not have had the chance to make the realistic travel plans that a one-stop service from Charlotte offers to people who are flying in to Naples from outside the Southeast.

It's this type of hub connectivity that makes the new Naples service really useful not just for the Charlotte market, but for other markets as well. Now, traveling from Chicago, Boston, Denver and dozens of other American-served cities, a traveler can now realistically transit directly through the city and into Naples without coming to rest in Fort Myers and arranging for ground transportation.

The Award Booking Opportunity Worth Acting On

That's where things really get interesting for points and miles fans. Availability is already available on the new route to Naples from Charlotte, and AAdvantage miles begin at only 8,500 miles one-way. That's a stark contrast to today's cash fares running at approximately $460.

There are a few things that you need to know about this particular opportunity:

• Redemption value: It is an award opportunity well above the typical redemption values per mile for AAdvantage and at 8,500 miles against a $460 cash fare, this is one of the better short-haul redemption options in the program at this time.
• New route advantage: On new routes, airlines may offer more awards than they do on routes with established, high demand patterns because they aren't yet in the habit of adjusting prices based on confirmed demand.

If you already have AAdvantage miles and any real reason to visit Naples, Marco Island or the entire Paradise Coast area this winter, it is the prudent thing to do to book early instead of late. As a new route becomes visible and its demand becomes more predictable, award space tightens at this value.

This is the impact on travel patterns in Southwest Florida

Let's be realistic about how much this development will be. Fort Myers will continue to serve as the largest gateway for the majority of visitors to Southwest Florida, and the dual hub-to-hub flights, which is hardly a change in the ways visitors travel, will not affect the destination network or existing infrastructure.

What this does not change is the experience for a meaningful and specific subset of travelers: those who have a trip which is actually focused on Naples or Marco Island and not the region is what this does not change. The new American Airlines flight will save that traveller a 25-year travel annoyance a drive. The combined extensive connectivity of Charlotte makes the practicality of flying directly to Naples and not taking a detour through Fort Myers a reality, albeit modest in size.

The return of commercial flights to Naples Airport also represents a shift in thinking by the big carriers in recognizing regional and smaller airports as desirable locations for their network operations especially in a highly traveled and expansive leisure market such as Southwest Florida where the community's population and seasonal visitors have mushroomed in the last 20 years.

Summary: What you need to know:

• American Airlines starts twice-daily flights to CLT from APF on December 2, 2026, with a CRJ700.
• This is the first commercial airline flight in the airport of Naples in about 25 years.
• American ended up with the smaller CRJ700 aircraft, instead of the initially planned CRJ900, because of the 75,000-pound weight limit at Naples Airport.
• Seats are now available for redeeming 8,500 AAdvantage miles one-way for a fare price of about $460, which is a pretty steep early redemption value.

The Bottom Line

After being served by no commercial airline for 25 years, commercial airline service is returning to Naples, Florida with American Airlines beginning twice-daily nonstop flights to Charlotte on December 2, 2026. Fort Myers is the hub for most travel in Southwest Florida, but this new route will make it much easier and more convenient to anyone traveling specifically to Naples or Marco Island, with Charlotte's extensive hub connectivity throughout American's network. 

If you are counting points, you will appreciate the current award pricing of 8,500 AAdvantage miles one-way for a $460 cash fare it's one of the more promising early redemption opportunities that we see at the moment, and it is wise to book before demand outstrips value.