American Airlines is cutting flights to South America due to lack of demand stemming from the continent's new surge of COVID cases

• American Airlines is cutting select services to South America due to COVID-19.
• Rising COVID-19 cases in these countries have decreased flight demands.
• The airline's flights to Brazil, Chile, and Peru have been impacted by this decision.

American Airlines is reducing flights to select South American destinations due to a decreased demand amid COVID-19 surges, the airline confirmed to Insider.

The coronavirus pandemic has been ravaging parts of South America in recent weeks. As a result, several countries - including Brazil, Peru, and Chile - have recently seen a record high in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

At the same time, the more infectious P.1 coronavirus variant, which was first discovered in Brazil, has been spreading across several locations outside of the country, including Canada and Minnesota. And at the top of the month, Chile decided to shut down its borders, which means only Chileans and foreign residents will be allowed to travel to the country.

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Concerns over covid have inevitably started impacting the level of demand for flights to these locations, leading American Airlines to decrease its offerings. Impacted services include:

• Suspending flights from Miami to Manaus, Brazil until November 1.
• Pushing the start of flights from New York to Santiago, Chile from May 7 to July 2.
• Reducing daily services from Miami to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to three flights a week.
• Reducing daily services from Dallas-Fort Worth and New York to Sao Paulo, Brazil to three flights a week.
• Reducing daily services from Dallas-Fort Worth to Lima, Peru to five flights a week.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled Brazil, Chile, and Peru at the highest Level 4, and does not recommend traveling to these three South American countries.