American Airlines will suspend service to Beijing Capital from Chicago O'Hare in October, amid a number of network changes this fall.

The oneworld Alliance carrier cites a weak fare environment for its decision to suspend its six-times weekly service to Beijing Capital airport from Chicago with its last eastbound flight on 22 October, it says today. It operates a Boeing 787-8 on the route.

"The current fare environment severely limits our ability to successfully compete between Chicago and Beijing," says Vasu Raja, vice-president of network and schedule planning at American.

Pacific passenger unit revenue (PRASM) at the airline increased 3.1% year-over-year in the first quarter with Hong Kong and Japan driving the improvement, said American president Robert Isom in April. He did not mention China at the time.

American plans to seek a dormancy waiver from the US Department of Transportation for the US-China frequencies that it utilises for the Chicago-Beijing route, and seek to relaunch the service to Beijing Daxing airport when it opens in 2019.

China Southern Airlines, which the US carrier has an equity partnership with, plans a major base at the new airport.

American has operated the Chicago-Beijing route since 2010, when it was its first service to the Chinese capital. It also serves Beijing Capital from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles with the latter service beginning in November 2017.

Asia has been a strategic focus for American in recent years. It grew capacity to the region at a compound annual growth rate of 13.9% from 2013, when it merged with US Airways, through 2017, FlightGlobal Diio schedules show.

Hainan Airlines and United Airlines also serve the Beijing-Chicago market, schedules show.