Nearly half of 2026 has gone already. In the second half of the year, from July to December, Southwest Airlines has scheduled 23 new and returning routes. 21 are domestic and two are international. While they were all revealed before, it is worth summarizing them.
These findings are from exploring Southwest’s entire network between January 2025 and June 2026, and then comparing that to what’s scheduled from July to March 2027 (the airline’s booking engine is open until March 10). This reflects what is known as of June 30, with other links to be announced in due course. While not a like-for-like comparison, Breeze Airways will launch 19 between July 1 and 3.
They are summarized in the following table by the launch date and shown on the interactive map. The map allows you to zoom in and out, to select specific variants of the Boeing 737, and specific frequencies.
Schedule analysis using Cirium Diio data shows that 14 of the 23 additions (61%) will have head-to-head competition with at least one other airline. They include half of Southwest’s upcoming routes from the fast-growing Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The carrier will compete directly with Allegiant Air to Knoxville and with Delta Air Lines to Memphis.
Long Beach to Portland, Long Beach to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Santa Barbara
AUS to Memphis, Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Manchester, BNA to Reno, Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to Puerto Vallarta, LAS to San José (Costa Rica)
AUS to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, AUS to Santa Rosa
Denver International Airport (DEN) to West Palm Beach, FLL to San Diego, Kansas City to San Francisco, Orlando to San José (California)
Pittsburgh to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
Indianapolis to PBI, Manchester to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Buffalo to Miami, Rochester to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Providence to Sarasota, Portland (Maine) to RSW
30% Of The Routes Were Previously In Southwest’s Network
Only seven of the 23 entries were previously served by Southwest. They are AUS to Destin-Fort Walton Beach (2021-2023), AUS to Memphis (2015-2016), BNA to Manchester (1998-2006), Long Beach to Portland (2023-2024), Orlando to San José (California; 2018-2020), Providence to Sarasota (2023), and Rochester to FLL (2020). The airline would have examined past performance, seen how the markets have changed and what opportunities exist, and factored in aircraft availability and other potential opportunities.
Located 815 nautical miles (1,509 km) apart, Southwest has not had nonstop flights between BNA and New Hampshire for 20 years. That’ll change on October 1, when the self-described hybrid operator will have up to a daily operation. In the past, two daily services existed — and that was before BNA evolved into the major transit airport it is now.
Southwest will target the 14,900 round-trip local passengers who the US Department of Transportation shows flew indirectly in the 12 months to March 2026, although this figure does not include those who drove to Boston for nonstop flights. Funnily enough, the airline already has 71% of the BNA-Manchester market. Southwest will also provide many more connecting opportunities via BNA.
Brand-new markets are especially good to see, as they have not had nonstop flights before. Three fit the bill: AUS to Santa Rosa, BNA to Reno, and LAS to San José (Costa Rica). They stand a good chance of making the weekly celebratory new routes article (see last week’s edition).
BNA to Reno is a decent-sized market. In the 12 months to March 2026, 45,100 round-trip passengers flew indirectly. Southwest carried 28,000 of them (62%), with most people flying via DEN, LAS, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). It was BNA’s second-largest unserved market within the Lower 48, after Boise (45,700).
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