Southwest Airlines is ending flights to four major airports — three of which are currently served by nonstop routes from Denver International Airport — and cutting back on flights to two others, the airline announced Thursday.
Starting Aug. 4, Southwest will no longer fly in or out of Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York state, according to a Thursday news release from Southwest Airlines.
The airline will also reduce operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the release stated.
Of the canceled flights, Southwest offered nonstop routes out of Denver to Bellingham, Cozumel and Houston’s George Bush. The airline also offered flights to Syracuse from DIA via connections.
The cuts are linked in part to challenges presented by Boeing aircraft delivery delays and below-projected first-quarter earnings this year, Thursday’s release stated.
The airline is set to receive less than half of the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes it was expecting in 2024, Southwest said Thursday. Of the 46 planes initially projected, only 20 will be delivered.
“Achieving our financial goals is an immediate imperative,” Southwest president and CEO Bob Jordan stated in the release Thursday. “The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025. … To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets.”
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Delivery delays make it difficult for the company to increase flights and recoup lost earnings from the year’s underperforming start, the airline said.
According to Thursday’s release, Southwest lost more than $230 million — approximately $0.39 per share — in the first quarter. When excluding special items, the adjusted net loss was $218 million.
However, the company also recorded a record first-quarter operating revenue of $6.3 billion and a record number of passengers carried during the quarter, according to Thursday’s release.
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