Stansted will no longer have direct flights to New York after American Airlines announced it was to end its services between the Essex airport and JFK.

The airline launched the route in October 2007, putting it in direct competition with business-class-only carriers Maxjet and Eos. However, the credit crunch and rising oil prices saw both Maxjet and Eos file for bankruptcy protection in the US, where they were both based.

When American started its service, it originally planned a second daily flight but this was later postponed until 2 August. Earlier this week, American announced it would have to make drastic cuts in its services because of the problems of operating with oil at record highs of $135 a barrel and the Stansted route was chosen for the chop.

Nick Barton, strategy and solutions director at Stansted Airport, said: “[American’s] decision is reflective of the global situation, especially relating to rising oil prices and the current economic environment, and is part of a number of cutbacks being made by American Airlines across its domestic and international network.

“We continue to work closely with airlines keen to commence services from Stansted and with those already here looking to further develop their existing European networks. Let there be no mistake, we remain confident in the prospects for the development of long-haul operations at Stansted.”