Southwest Airlines reports over 3,900 daily movements at busiest airports

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Southwest Airlines reports over 3,900 daily movements at busiest airports

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Southwest Airlines | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

Jun 9, 2025

Southwest Airlines, the fourth-largest airline in the United States, has reported a total of 4,194 daily movements for June. This figure includes both takeoffs and landings across its network. Denver International Airport leads as Southwest's busiest airport with 565 daily movements, influenced significantly by connecting traffic.

The carrier operates primarily within the domestic market, with 4,078 of its daily movements (97%) occurring within the United States. Its network spans 117 airports, including 104 domestic locations such as Puerto Rico. Southwest serves a total of 906 routes, comprising 840 domestic and 66 international routes.

The airline's top ten airports account for 3,933 daily movements or approximately 94% of its overall operations. These airports are strategically positioned to support Southwest's business model by offering strong route networks and high frequencies. This facilitates connectivity essential for filling aircraft and generating additional revenue.

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Denver International Airport joined Southwest's network in January 2006 with just seven routes and now handles a significant portion of the airline's domestic flights. Although Denver is not Southwest's leading hub for international flights—it ranks fourth behind Houston Hobby, Orlando, and Baltimore—it remains pivotal due to its large volume of domestic connections.

Houston Hobby stands out as Southwest’s primary international gateway with eight destinations across Mexico and Central America. Of its 327 daily movements at Hobby, only about 7% are international flights.

Passenger connectivity plays a crucial role in Southwest's operations at Denver. Data from the US Department of Transportation indicates that in 2024, more than half (53%) of passengers at Denver were connecting to other flights. The Dallas Love-Denver-San Francisco route recorded particularly high traffic levels among connecting passengers.

While many travelers use Denver as a transit point, local traffic varies significantly by route. For instance, between San Antonio and Denver only about one-quarter of passengers connect to other flights while nearly all travelers on Colorado Springs-Denver journeys continue onward.