Southwest Airlines Quietly Confirms Major Change at Popular Airport
On Thursday, Aug. 14 Southwest Airlines announced a new route to Knoxville, TN with service starting March 5, 2026 and extending through April 6, 2026.
“Thanks to the partnership from Gov. Bill Lee, the State of Tennessee, and the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, we’re looking forward to serving Knoxville with our unmatched Customer Service,” Bob Jordan, CEO, President, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
“We’re celebrating another exciting milestone in our journey to transform Southwest Airlines – giving Customers more reasons to choose Southwest. Plus, we’re affirming our longtime commitment to California with new routes from San Diego’s reimagined Terminal 1.”
Southwest Airlines Makes Quiet Change
Not long after announcing the new service to Knoxville, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson revealed the carrier is making another significant change at one of the busiest airports in the United States.
Airline Geeks reported Southwest is making adjustments to its St. Louis operations to "better support north/south connectivity" and improve connections at Chicago Midway and Nashville, the spokesperson stated.
The airline plans to end service between St. Louis and Tulsa, OK; Oklahoma City; Wichita, KS; Des Moines, IA; and Little Rock, AR. "Flights from St. Louis to Tulsa, Wichita, and Des Moines will be redistributed to Chicago Midway, the St. Louis–Oklahoma City route will shift to Dallas Love Field, and St. Louis–Little Rock will instead be served from Nashville," Airline Geeks wrote.
Southwest is also exiting a number of other routes including, Eugene, OR, to Oakland, St. Louis to Burbank, CA; Houston Hobby to Greenville-Spartanburg, SC; Jackson, MS, to Baltimore/Washington; Atlanta to New York LaGuardia; and Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham, NC.
Related: Southwest Airlines Announces Change on All Flights Starting August 13