Southwest Airlines' New #1 Busiest Airport Revealed 2026: Denver Loses Top Spot

Credit: Nestor Salgado | Shutterstock & Simple Flying Published Oct 1, 2026, 3:01 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Sign in to your Simple Flying account Denver International Airport (DEN) has lost the top spot for the busiest airport for the world's largest low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines. The hybrid carrier, historically one of the largest operators at the Colorado airport, has seen the title of busiest base and airport go to Las Vegas. Between October 2026 and May 2027, Southwest recorded 59,510 departures from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), overtaking Denver at 57,851 total flights. For Vegas, this represents a 3.1% uplift from the same period last year, and a -0.2% drop for Denver. Data for this analysis is from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company. Southwest Airlines Adds More Flights From Las Vegas In 2026 Credit: Ryken Papy | Shutterstock Las Vegas remains one of the world's most popular tourist and conference destinations. From the bright lights and entertainment venues to all-day gambling and proximity to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, there is something for everyone. Las Vegas has 78 nonstop Southwest Routes, with seven new destinations added this year alone. Southwest's top 10 airports from October this year through May 2027 include Las Vegas, Denver, Baltimore, Phoenix, Nashville, Chicago Midway, Dallas, Orlando, Houston Hobby, and San Diego. Together, these airports represent 458,511 departures during this period. Credit: GCMap Airports with the highest growth in the same period include Nashville (13.9% uplift), Orlando (11.3%), and San Diego (13.8%), all reporting double-digit growth. Airport IATA Code Total Departures From October 2026 to May 2027 % Change From Same Period Last Year Harry Reid International Airport LAS 59,510 3.1% Denver International Airport DEN 57,851 -0.2% Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport BWI 49,101 0.6% Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport PHX 47,458 -0.1% Nashville International Airport BNA 46,918 13.9% Chicago Midway International Airport MDW 46,853 6.5% Dallas Love Field DAL 46,308 1.3% Orlando International Airport MCO 41,563 11.3% Houston Hobby Airport HOU 34,405 -2.7% San Diego International Airport SAN 28,814 13.8% Las Vegas Overtakes Denver As Southwest's Busiest Airport Credit: Don Mammoser | Shutterstock Denver no longer holds the title of Southwest's busiest airport, losing the top spot to Las Vegas. This comes with a drop in the total number of flights at the Colorado airport. Total operations at Denver dropped 0.2% overall, a change from 57,940 departures between October 2025 and May 2026, versus 57,851 for the same period this year. Using data from The Frequent Flyer between June 2025 and May this year, Southwest is the second-largest operator at Denver, only behind Star Alliance carrier United Airlines. Southwest holds a 29% market share at the airport, behind United's 50.4%, represented by 23.3 million Southwest passengers and 40.5 million traveling with United. Credit: GCMap The top airports for Southwest in the same period last year include Denver, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Nashville, Orlando, Houston, and St. Louis. Airport IATA Code Total Departures From October 2025 to May 2026 Denver International Airport DEN 57,940 Harry Reid International Airport LAS 57,693 Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport BWI 48,806 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport PHX 47,488 Dallas Love Field DAL 45,728 Chicago Midway International Airport MDW 43,738 Nashville International Airport BNA 41,188 Orlando International Airport MCO 37,329 Houston Hobby Airport HOU 35,360 San Diego International Airport SAN 26,123 Credit: Atosan | Shutterstock Southwest at Las Vegas now boasts a total of 75 US destinations, with three international links available to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose del Cabo, all in Mexico. The airport has a total of five routes to the US Northeast, 11 to the Southeast, 11 to the Midwest, 15 to the Southwest, and 33 to the West. Credit: GCMap Region List Of Destinations Served From Las Vegas Between October 2026 And May 2027 Northeast Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Southeast Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Miami, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, Tampa, Washington Midwest Chicago, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Omaha, St. Louis, Wichita Southwest Albuquerque, Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Little Rock, Lubbock, Memphis, Midland, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tulsa West Boise, Bozeman, Burbank, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eugene, Fresno, Honolulu, Hilo, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ontario, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Portland, Reno, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, Seattle, Spokane, Tucson International Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo Other notable routes that are excluded from this list due to their operational period include Anchorage, which is expected to resume in June or July next year, providing direct competition to Alaska Airlines, which already operates the route year-round.