American Airlines will adjust its October schedule to remove service to 15 markets as a result of low demand and the expiration of the CARES Act.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in the US in March and provided airlines with $25 billion in payroll support provided that carriers do not furlough or lay off any employees through to 30 September.

The airline said that “this is the first step” as it continues to evaluate its network and plans for additional schedule changes in the coming weeks.

The suspensions will be effective from 7 October. For now, it says that these changes are only in place for the October schedule period, which runs through until 3 November.

The airline will continue to re-assess plans for these and other markets as an extension of the Payroll Support Program remains under deliberation. The full, updated October schedule will be released 29 August, and American anticipates releasing its updated November schedule by late-September.

The full list of suspensions include:

• Del Rio, Texas
• Dubuque. Iowa
• Florence, South Carolina
• Greenville, North Carolina
• Huntington, Washington, Virginia
• Joplin, Missouri
• Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Michigan
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
• New Haven, Connecticut
• New Windsor, New York
• Roswell, New Mexico
• Sioux City, Iowa
• Springfield, Illinois
• Stillwater, Oklahoma
• Williamsport, Pennsylvania

The CARES act provided primary commercial service airports, with more than 10,000 annual passenger boardings additional funds based on the number of annual boardings, in a similar way to how they currently receive AIP entitlement funds.

All commercial service airports received funds based on the number of passengers that board aircraft there, the amount of debt an airport has, and the amount of money the airport has in reserve.

And General aviation airports received funds based on their airport categories, such as National, Regional, Local, Basic and Unclassified.