Southwest Makes Massive Cuts In Atlanta In Latest Effort to Slash Costs

by Anthony Losanno
Southwest Airlines

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Southwest Airlines announced some major cuts to its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) operation. The airline is planning to reduce staffing by as many as 200 flight attendants and as many as 140 pilots for the April 2025 bid month. It will also reduce its gates from 18 to 11 and serve 21 cities versus 37 currently flown. This means that the number of flights to and from the airport will drop from 567 to 381 weekly.

Ground staff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) will be reduced by around 40%. The remaining former AirTran employees at regional office will have 10 days to decide if they want to move to Dallas or resign. The airline is not laying off crew members but will make them bid from other cities. The routes flown nonstop from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) will see the following cuts:

  • Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
  • Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
  • Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
  • Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)
  • Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
  • Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
  • Memphis International Airport (MEM)
  • Miami International Airport (MIA)
  • Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
  • Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers International Airport (OKC)
  • Omaha’s Eppley Airfield (OMA)
  • Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
  • Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
  • Richmond International Airport (RIC)
  • Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)

Southwest Plane

Southwest commented on these changes in a memo. It reads:

Although we try everything we can before making difficult decisions like this one, we simply cannot afford continued losses and must make this change to help restore our profitability. This decision in no way reflects our Employees’ performance, and we’re proud of the Hospitality and the efforts they have made and will continue to make with our Customers in ATL.”

These reductions are certainly welcome news to rival (and the largest airline in Atlanta), Delta Air Lines. The fortress hub is showing no signs of cracking and these losses will only strengthen Delta there.

Anthony’s Take: Southwest is struggling and is going to keep making changes as it charts its path forward. These are some big moves and I don’t think Southwest is done yet.

(H/T: @NedsKid – Big Thank You!)
(Image Credits: Nick Morales and Southwest Airlines.)

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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.

1 comment

SMR September 25, 2024 - 2:38 pm

Delta monopoly. In today’s new world , no one wants to compete… because they can’t afford to

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