Summary
- Southwest Airlines proclaims recent routes, including international services from Orlando International Airport and domestic offerings from Hollywood Burbank Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.
- Despite a drop in net profit for the third quarter, Southwest Airlines maintains strong demand and expects continued growth, particularly in the summertime when the brand new routes will launch.
- Southwest Airlines expands its fleet with an order for 108 Boeing 737 MAX 7s, adding to its total order of over 500 aircraft, with deliveries set to start in 2024.
The Dallas, Texas-based airline announced a slew of recent routes throughout the US. On October 26, Southwest Airlines revealed a brand new high of scheduled departures, just over 4,500 departures in its published schedule. These recent routes come through the extension of its current flight schedule through August 4, 2024. Latest routes include flights from a few of its domestic hubs and several other recent international services.
Latest international services
Several recent routes are set to start operating from considered one of the airline’s operating bases, Orlando International Airport (MCO). The world’s largest low-cost carrier will begin several recent every day international routes on June 4, 2024.
Photo: Southwest Airlines
The airline will begin flying to Cancun, Mexico, Grand Cayman within the Cayman Islands, Nassau, Bahamas, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and San Jose, Costa Rica. Southwest Airlines already flies several routes from Orlando, including service to Aruba and Montego Bay, Jamaica. This can be the seventeenth route that may hook up with Cancun starting in June of next yr.
Latest domestic offerings
Also starting on June 4, 2024, Southwest Airlines will expand its already extensive network of routes from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). The brand new every day services will operate to Boise, Idaho, Kansas City, Missouri, Latest Orleans, Louisiana, San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri.
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Easy Flying
Moreover, Southwest Airlines will begin a brand new service connecting Colorado Springs Airport (COS) in Colorado, and Baltimore/ Washington International Airport (BWI).
Other recent routes are set to start from the airline’s home base in Dallas Love Field (DAL). The brand new destinations from Love Field are Buffalo/ Niagara, Latest York, Fresno, California, Windfall, Rhode Island, and Spokane, Washington. These recent routes are Saturday-only services.
Southwest Airlines can be set to open a brand new flight crew base in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2024. On top of this, the airline is starting recent Saturday-only services to Bozeman, Montana, and Saturday and Sunday services to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Expanding even after demand slows
With operational expenses increasing by 10% yr over yr and fuel prices nearly $0.35 higher than expected, Southwest Airlines narrowly missed its industry projections. The airline still reached a rise of 4.9% in operating revenues and a quarterly record of $6.5 billion.
Photo: Denver International Airport
Nonetheless, net profit for the third quarter was $193 million. This was nearly a 60% drop compared to the financial results of the second quarter. Even with this slight decline, the airline’s operations noted a healthy demand through the travel season, just like pre-pandemic levels. The airline is anticipated to see this demand decline a bit further in quarter 4, nonetheless. Southwest Airlines, nonetheless, is anticipated to see continued growth into summer, when lots of its newly announced routes are set to start.
Along with expanding its route network, Southwest Airlines also placed an order for an extra 108 Boeing 737 MAX 7s. This brings the whole order of 737 MAXs to over 500 total aircraft. The deliveries of those aircraft are set to start in 2024, wherein lots of these aircraft may operate the airline’s newly offered routes.