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Southwest Airlines announced it will discontinue service to two major airports this summer. It plans to end flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which are both United hubs. According to the airline, all flights to and from both airports will cease on June 4th.
Any Southwest flights scheduled after June 4th from either airport will be canceled. Customers with affected reservations will be offered options to rebook their flights or receive refunds. The airline confirmed the changes through an end-of-service alert posted on its website and in communications sent to travelers.
Southwest first began flying to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in 2021 as a complement to its long-standing operations at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW). However, the airline has a much deeper history at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), where it has operated for more than four decades. Today, Southwest runs up to 244 daily departures from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and serves more than 80 nonstop destinations from the airport. This includes all 15 routes currently offered from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Employees affected by the closure will have the opportunity to bid for open positions elsewhere in the airline’s network.
Southwest is also ending service to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which has been part of the airline’s network since 2006. The airport has served as one of several gateways in the Washington region for Southwest, alongside operations at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
The announcement comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines discuss potential flight reductions at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) during the busy summer travel season due to congestion and operational constraints. While Southwest did not directly link its decision to those discussions, the move removes the airline from one of the country’s busiest airports after only a few years of service.
These two airports join several others that Southwest has exited in recent years, including Bellingham International Airport (BLI), Cozumel International Airport (CZM), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR).
Anthony’s Take: United is battling American for control of Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and it dominates Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The latest changes reflect ongoing adjustments to Southwest’s network as the airline continues to refine its route map and concentrate service in markets where it believes it can operate most efficiently.
(Image Credits: Southwest.)
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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.
