Southwest Airlines drops 30 routes as it shifts focus toward connecting flights

This transformation follows other recent changes at Southwest aimed at increasing revenue. In May, the airline began charging bag fees for the first time and announced plans to introduce assigned seating and extra-legroom seats early next year.

Of the 30 discontinued routes between March 5 and April 6, 2026, only 11 are considered permanent exits; many others are seasonal reductions. All affected routes had been operated year-round prior to this update.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), nonstops to New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) will end permanently. These markets face significant competition from Delta Air Lines but remain important business destinations.

Denver’s dropped nonstops include flights to Albany (ALB), Buffalo Niagara (BUF), Bradley near Hartford (BDL), Charleston (CHS), Charlotte Douglas (CLT), Norfolk (ORF), and Providence’s T.F. Green airport (PVD). St. Louis loses service to Hollywood Burbank (BUR), Charlotte Douglas, Des Moines International (DSM), Little Rock’s Clinton National Airport (LIT), Tulsa International Airport (TUL), Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT).

Other airports experiencing cuts include Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI); Harry Reid International in Las Vegas; and Oakland San Francisco Bay airport.

In addition to route removals, Southwest is adding short-haul flights designed for connections through its larger bases — a significant strategic shift for an airline known for point-to-point service. For example, new flights between Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) cover just 80 miles; Nashville-BNA to TYS is another such short hop at 152 miles.

Further connecting-focused additions include MDW-DSM, MDW-ICT, MDW-TUL, DAL-OKC among others starting in March.

Aviation blogger Brett Snyder noted that four major Southwest bases — BNA, DEN, MDW and STL — now have schedules coordinated into “banks” of arrivals and departures intended to make connections easier throughout the day: "With better connectivity that uses the four hubs to create opportunity throughout the day and the introduction of redeyes, Southwest has turned into the thing it always pretended it didn't want to be ... an airline well-equipped for connections," he wrote.