American Airlines Is Flying Its Giant Boeing 777 Just 142 Miles Across South America

American Airlines is about to pull off one of the most eyebrow-raising widebody operations in its history, and it has nothing to do with a new route or a fleet expansion. For a short but significant window in late 2026, the carrier's flagship Boeing 777-300ER will operate a sector so brief it barely registers on a long-haul airline's radar: just 142 miles (229 km) across the Río de la Plata between Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

A Major Runway Crisis at Ezeiza

Aeropuertos Argentina announced in February 2026 an ambitious works plan for Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), Argentina's primary international gateway, aimed at strengthening operational efficiency, safety, passenger services, and cargo terminal capacity. Among the key projects is the rehabilitation of the secondary runway (17–35) and its intersection with the main runway (11–29). Due to these works, between October 25 and November 11, operations will be restricted exclusively to runway 11–29, which will be limited to 1,850 metres instead of the current 3,300 metres. 

For heavily loaded long-haul aircraft, this shortened distance is insufficient to take off safely with full fuel and payload. That single constraint is the reason behind American's creative, and historically unusual workaround.

Montevideo as a Fuel Bridge

American Airlines is about to turn one of South America's shortest international hops into a widebody curiosity. Aeroroutes reports that the carrier plans to route selected departures from Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) via Montevideo's Carrasco International Airport (MVD) in late 2026. This will create American's shortest sector with the Boeing 777-300ER at just 142 miles, before the aircraft continues to the United States. 

Instead of being a destination in itself, Montevideo will serve as a refuelling bridge that allows the aircraft to depart Argentina light and then tank up for the transcontinental leg to North America. Once fully fuelled in Uruguay, each aircraft can then cross to either Miami or New York without being constrained by the temporary limits at Ezeiza.

Two Key Flights Affected

American's revised plan affects two of its existing daily departures from Buenos Aires. One of the carrier's twice-daily EZE–Miami services, flight AA908, will operate Ezeiza–Montevideo–Miami between roughly October 25 and November 11, using a Boeing 777-300ER. Over the same dates, flight AA954 from Buenos Aires to New York John F. Kennedy will also be rerouted via Montevideo with the same aircraft type. 

Meanwhile, American's second daily EZE–Miami flight, designated AA934 and operated with a Boeing 787-8, initially remains scheduled as a nonstop service. However, runway length constraints affect more than just the heavier 777-300ER. Although the 787-8 has a notably lower maximum take-off weight of approximately 228 tonnes compared with around 352 tonnes for the larger 777-300ER, it still requires a runway in the range of roughly 2,400 to 2,900 metres for a fully loaded departure on a long-haul mission. With Ezeiza's main runway temporarily restricted to around 1,850 metres of usable length, the 787-8 is also likely to face limitations if it attempts to depart fully loaded directly for Miami. American may eventually need to adjust the plan for AA934 as well. 

A Record-Breaking Short Hop

The distance is just 142 miles (229 km), which is tiny by 777-300ER standards, and for two and a half weeks, will be the shortest widebody route in the American Airlines network; the next shortest is Miami–Charlotte at 651 miles (1,048 km). American will be the only airline on the route, as Aerolíneas Argentinas connects to Montevideo three times daily from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), the secondary airport for Buenos Aires. 

To put the scale of this oddity into context, the 777-300ER is engineered for missions of 7,000 miles or more, with a maximum range of approximately 8,555 miles, powered by General Electric GE90 engines. Deploying it across a stretch of water that a regional turboprop could comfortably cover underscores just how acute the operational pressure at Ezeiza has become.

How Other Carriers Are Responding

American's decision to stay active through a technical stop sets it apart from its US rivals. Other long-haul visitors to Argentina's capital, such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, are instead choosing to temporarily suspend their EZE flights. 

The ripple effects extend well beyond US carriers. Air Europa has removed flights to Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) from sale for the affected dates, and plans to reinforce its Madrid–Montevideo route, so passengers can use Uruguay as a workaround. Meanwhile, Emirates has said that its 777-300ER flight from Dubai (DXB) via Rio de Janeiro will terminate at Galeão International Airport (GIG) and not continue to Buenos Aires during the affected period. KLM is reportedly considering operating to EZE via Santiago (SCL), a reversal of its normal AMS–EZE–SCL dogleg route. What is clear is that carriers will be left with a clear menu of choices: reroute through a nearby airport like Montevideo, trim payload (which is likely economically unviable), or suspend operations outright. 

What Passengers Should Expect

Travellers booked on AA908 or AA954 between October 25 and November 11, 2026, should anticipate an additional stop in Montevideo for refuelling (approximately 1–2 hours) and slightly longer total travel times compared to nonstop service. American has not yet detailed any pricing implications for the additional sector, but passengers are advised to confirm their final itineraries directly with the airline before travel.

A $100 Million Overhaul With a Global Impact

The works form part of a broader $100 million investment plan that includes a complete remodelling of the beacon lighting ring, repaving of the "Alfa" taxiway, construction of new maintenance modules for ramp operations, and an expansion of the domestic arrivals terminal by 1,200 m², incorporating five new boarding gates. The disruption is temporary, but the scale of its knock-on effects across global aviation has been remarkable.

American's Montevideo gambit is, at its core, a demonstration of operational ingenuity, keeping critical US–South America corridors open when its competitors have opted to walk away. Whether the Buenos Aires–Montevideo micro-hop becomes an unlikely aviation footnote or a template for future contingency planning remains to be seen. For now, the world's largest wide-body jet will briefly become the most over-engineered regional shuttle in the sky.

American Airlines EZE Rerouting

All times local. +1 = next day arrival. Source: AeroRoutes, April 2026. Schedules subject to change.