American Airlines is cutting one of its signature Caribbean routes.

The carrier has announced that it will be cancelling its two daily nonstop flights from New York – John F. Kennedy to San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on Aug. 22.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel our service,” American Airlines spokesperson LaKesha Brown told Caribbean Journal in a statement. “We continually evaluate our network, looking at supply and demand for each route we serve.”

American Airlines has been facing increased competition in the Caribbean, particularly from New York City-based JetBlue Airways, which has been on a rapid expansion push.

The flight’s cancellation will not just impact travelers to San Juan but also to the many surrounding islands travelers reach by connecting via San Juan.

Old San Juan.

JetBlue operates five daily flights between John F. Kennedy and San Juan.

American said it would continue its San Juan flights out of other hubs, with up to 21 daily flights to San Juan out of Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Charlotte.

We want to ensure our fleet and crews are serving routes that are profitable, better positioning us for long term success against global competition,” Brown said.

Planning a trip to San Juan? Check out our ranking of the best Puerto Rico hotels. 

— Alexander Britell