Southwest Airlines Shakes Up Travel Plans by Exiting Two Key Airports

Southwest Airlines has revealed plans to halt operations at two major airports in the coming months.

The budget airline announced on Friday that it will cease flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, all flights to and from these locations will be terminated starting June 4.

A Southwest spokesperson explained to the Daily Mail that this move is part of their strategy to optimize their flight network.

Passengers affected by this change will have the option to either rebook their tickets or request a refund.

Employees who operated out of the affected airports can bid for other open positions, including at nearby airline hubs.  

Southwest will continue to serve both the Chicago and DC metro areas via Chicago’s Midway Airport and the DMV’s Washington International and Reagan National airports. 

A spokesperson for the company called operating out of O’Hare ‘challenging,’ in a statement to the Daily Mail. 

Southwest Airlines announced Friday that the company would no longer be servicing Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport

Southwest currently serves 15 destinations out of O’Hare International Airport, which will discontinue in June

O’Hare offered several direct flights via Southwest including to Phoenix and Austin

‘We are confident we can serve Chicagoland through Chicago Midway, where we will continue to offer service to more than 80 destinations, including the 15 markets we serve from O’Hare,’ the airline said. 

According to AZ Family, Midway Airport has flights to more than 80 destinations, many of which are also provided at Chicago’s O’Hare.

Southwest has only offered flights out of O’Hare, which was named the world’s busiest airport in 2025, since 2021. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) met with American Airlines and United Airlines this week to discuss reducing air traffic in and out of O’Hare, reported CBS.

The FAA has said the 2026 summer season is on track to be far too busy at the Chicago hub with 3,080 daily flights scheduled there from March to October.

It is unclear if the push for fewer flights contributed to Southwest’s decision. 

Service to DC’s Dulles began in 2006. Southwest has offered flights to a variety of destinations in its 20 years of operation there. 

However, current destinations included twice daily trips to Denver and daily flights to Phoenix, reported Aerospace Global News. 

Southwest will continue to provide 271 flights and 70 non-stop destinations from Washington-area airports. 

Despite being at the airport for 20 years, Southwest now only offered two destinations out of Dulles

O’Hare offered Southwest flights beginning in 2021. Pictured are passengers waiting at the ticket counter amid delays, the same year

‘As the largest carrier in the Washington area in terms of passengers carried, Southwest is committed to serving this important market,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We will offer up to a combined 271 departures to 79 nonstop destinations from DCA and BWI.’

The Metropolitan Washington Airports authority which oversees Dulles and Reagan National airports, told WJLA they were disappointed by the decision. 

‘We hope Southwest will return to Dulles in the future,’ it said.

Southwest’s latest move came amid other major changes to the airline, including discontinuing its open seating model earlier this year.

The Daily Mail contacted the affected airports for comment.