Southwest Airlines cancels 15 destinations from Atlanta and adds 6 new routes to Nashville

Southwest Airlines is making major changes to its network.

The Dallas-based airline announced Wednesday that it is extending its flight schedule through June 4, 2025. As part of the extension, the airline is eliminating a number of routes from one of its operating locations and adding six new flights from Nashville International Airport (BNA).

Southwest closes 15 markets in Atlanta

Beginning with the cuts, Southwest will exit a whopping 15 markets from its base at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that the airline will permanently exit the following markets starting in April 2025:

• Cleveland
• Fort Lauderdale
• Fort Myers, Florida
• Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Jackson, Mississippi
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Memphis
• Miami
• Milwaukee
• Oklahoma City
• Omaha
• Philadelphia
• Richmond, Virginia
• Sarasota, Florida

The airline has also submitted plans to temporarily suspend service from Atlanta to Cancun, Mexico, but that route will resume in the near future, Southwest TPG said.

Southwest explains that these routes are being canceled because bookings on many of these routes are declining.

“We continue to optimize our network to meet customer demand, optimize our fleet utilization and maximize our revenue opportunities. Decisions like this are difficult for our business as they impact our employees, but we have a history of more than 53 years of making sure they are taken care of,” the airline said in a statement.

In parallel with the cuts, the airline will reduce its presence at ATL from 18 to 11 gates next year. As a result, the airline will not need as many employees at its Atlanta location, but all employees will be offered transfer stations, the airline confirmed to TPG.

Going forward, Southwest will focus on meeting demand for originating and arriving flights from Atlanta to other popular Southwest airports such as Baltimore, Dallas, Denver and Houston.

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All these changes come at a time when the airline is struggling to return to profitability due to repeated pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management.

Southwest is expected to announce a detailed cost-cutting plan at its investor day on Thursday.

Southwest adds 6 new Nashville routes

However, Southwest does not only have to save money. The airline is increasing its presence in Nashville by establishing six new routes.

Starting April 8, 2025, Southwest will offer flights from BNA to:

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Albany, New York
• Jackson, Mississippi
• Memphis
• Providence, Rhode Island
• Oklahoma City, OK

Interestingly, this expansion marks the first time Southwest has offered intra-Tennessee service. According to Cirium data, it also marks the first time Memphis has been served from Nashville by a major airline since Delta Air Lines pulled out of the market in 2014. (This cut came in parallel with Delta’s closure of Memphis, a base originally acquired as part of its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines.)

It will be interesting to see how this 200-mile service works out for Southwest, considering it’s only a 3 1/2 hour drive between the two cities.

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Four of the six new routes are completely new for Southwest. The airline flew between Nashville and Albuquerque in 1988 and from Nashville to Providence in 2011.

The announcement comes shortly after the airline opened its newest flight crew base in Nashville on May 1. Overall, Southwest plans to operate a record number of Sunday flights next April and May.

More night flights

In addition to the new routes, Southwest announced that it will introduce night flights on five Hawaii routes starting in April. The introduction of night flights from Hawaii has long been anticipated by Southwest.

Earlier this year, the airline announced its first night flights in the continental United States and subsequently expanded its night flight portfolio to ten markets.

Beginning April 8, 2025, Southwest will offer daily overnight flights in the following markets:

• Honolulu to Las Vegas
• Honolulu to Phoenix
• From Kona, Hawaii to Las Vegas
• Kahului/Maui, Hawaii, to Las Vegas
• Kahului/Maui to Phoenix

By adding night flights from Hawaii, the airline will be able to offer more connecting flights for passengers heading to destinations east of the West Coast.

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