After years with out including a brand new vacation spot, Southwest Airways simply introduced its second new metropolis in as many months.
Southwest will land at McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) close to Knoxville, Tennessee, subsequent spring as a part of a 14-route enlargement.
Along with 4 new routes to TYS, the Dallas-based provider will add 10 new routes from a few of its key bases starting in March 2026: Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW), Nashville Worldwide Airport (BNA), Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) and San Diego Worldwide Airport (SAN).
The brand new routes are a part of Southwest’s newest schedule extension from March 5, 2026 by April 6, 2026. Tickets are on sale now.
Knoxville
Southwest will land at TYS on March 5, 2026 with 5 every day flights:
- TYS to Baltimore-Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), every day
- TYS to BNA, twice every day
- TYS to Dallas Love Area (DAL), every day
- TYS to Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO), every day
Knoxville is Southwest’s third airport in Tennessee after BNA and Memphis Worldwide Airport (MEM). Knoxville, positioned within the western reaches of the Appalachian Mountains, is house to the biggest College of Tennessee campus and handy to points of interest like Dollywood and Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park.
Some might argue that the flights mark a return to TYS for Southwest. The airline’s one-time subsidiary AirTran Airways served the airport from when the carriers merged in 2011 till 2012. AirTran was absolutely built-in into Southwest in 2014.
Responding to Alaska in San Diego
Southwest will add seven new nonstops from SAN in March, all of which seem like a direct response to Alaska Airways’ latest enlargement on the Southern California airport.
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The brand new every day SAN flights connect with Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA), Eugene Airport and Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX) in Oregon, Kahului Airport (OGG) in Hawaii, and Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Worldwide Airport (PVR) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Southwest may even add two Saturday-only seasonal routes from SAN starting March 7, 2026: Bozeman Yellowstone Worldwide Airport (BZN) in Montana and Spokane Worldwide Airport (GEG) in Washington.
All the new SAN routes compete straight with Alaska, Cirium schedules present.
Alaska seats in SAN have been up 9% within the third quarter in comparison with final 12 months, in keeping with schedule knowledge. Seats on Southwest, the airport’s largest airline, have been up simply 2%.
Southwest will transfer to the brand new Terminal 1 at SAN when it opens on Sept. 23.
New “hub” connectors
Lastly, Southwest will add three new routes that can feed new connections into its “hubs.” The airline doesn’t formally have hubs like different carriers; nevertheless, some bases are massive sufficient that connectivity occurs naturally.
The brand new connector routes embrace:
- BNA to Clinton Nationwide Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas, twice every day
- MDW to Milwaukee Mitchell Worldwide Airport (MKE) twice every day
- PHX to Tucson Worldwide Airport (TUS), twice every day
All three of those routes noticed fewer than 11 every day vacationers in 2024, in keeping with U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics knowledge by way of Cirium. Nevertheless, they are going to enhance flight connection choices for Southwest at BNA, MDW and PHX.
Backside line
Southwest’s newest enlargement got here simply weeks after the provider revealed St. Thomas within the U.S. Virgin Islands as its first new vacation spot since 2021. The airline has teased a minimum of one further new metropolis within the close to future.
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