A route that has been in service for more than 46 years will soon cease to exist. American Airlines is ending service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to San Juan (SJU).

The twice-daily, JFK, non-stop service will discontinue Aug. 22. American, which has flown the route daily since it acquired Trans Caribbean Airlines in 1971, said the move was a difficult decision, but was based on route profitability and supply and demand.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel our service between JFK and San Juan,” said LaKesha Beown, spokeswoman, American Airlines. “We continually evaluate our network, looking at supply and demand for each route we serve. We want to ensure our fleet and crews are serving routes that are profitable, better positioning us for long term success against global competition.”

San Juan, once a major Caribbean hub for American, endured recent cut backs in service to the airport and across the Caribbean for several years. JetBlue and Southwest moved to increase its Caribbean service in response. Delta Air Lines also increased service with four daily flights between the two airports, while United services the city from its hub nearby at Newark (EWR).

American Airlines will continue to operate a total of 21 flights daily to San Juan from its other hubs in Charlotte (CLT), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL).