Southwest Launches 11 New Nonstop Routes From Major US Airport: See Full List

Published Sep 4, 2026, 4:00 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. The world's largest low-cost carrier is showing no signs of slowing down in San Diego, with Dallas-based Southwest Airlines launching a total of 11 new routes between March 2026 and March 2027. Eight routes are already shuttling passengers across the United States and Mexico, with three more taking flight in the coming months. Rounding out the list are Southwest's services to Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH), which will both begin in March, while Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is next up with services launching in February. Comparing November 2025 and November 2026, data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, shows Southwest has increased departures at this airport by more than 27%, to more than 840 per week. A Deep Dive Into Southwest's San Diego Network Expansion Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock Southwest has already added more than eight routes from San Diego International Airport (SAN), taking its total network from 36 to 42 routes. Added in March, flights to Seattle, Kahului, Spokane, Bozeman, and Puerto Vallarta were followed in April by Sonoma County, Boston in June, and Santa Barbara in August. This will grow to 49 destinations by March. Loading map… Drag to explore With the majority of these routes within the state of California, the airline continues to grow its presence in the state, where the airline remains the largest carrier within the state by number of passengers served and overall seat capacity. A look at the eight routes already flying with frequencies per week this September: Destination Launched Frequency Per Week This September Seattle March 2026 14 Sonoma April 2026 11 Kahului March 2026 7 Boston June 2026 7 Santa Barbara August 2026 7 Spokane March 2026 5 Bozeman March 2026 4 Three Additional Routes From San Diego By March Credit: Robin Guess | Shutterstock Fort Lauderdale will operate from November 21 with between three and five weekly flights. The service will be the second-longest in the airline's network from San Diego, covering 2,557 miles (4,115 km), just behind the airline's service to Boston, which covers 2,689 miles (4,327 km). Kona and Lihue will resume on March 13, with twice-weekly services. These routes were last served by the carrier until June 2022, and will compete head-to-head with Alaska Airlines. Lihue will become the airline's third-longest route from San Diego, at 2,466 miles (3,969 km), and Kona the sixth at 2,400 miles (3,862 km). The top six longest routes from San Diego are as follows: Destination Distance (Miles) Distance (Kilometers) Boston 2,689 4,327 Fort Lauderdale 2,557 4,115 Baltimore 2,423 3,900 Lihue 2,466 3,969 Honolulu 2,417 3,888 Kona 2,400 3,862 The Largest Operator At San Diego Is Southwest Airlines Credit: Ryken Papy | Shutterstock Southwest remains the largest carrier at San Diego, where it served more than nine million passengers between June 2025 and May 2026, capturing a 34.2% market share. This is almost double that of its closest competitor, Alaska, which served 5.5 million passengers, equating to a 20.9% market share. Legacy carrier United Airlines is the third-largest operator with 12% of all flight operations (3.1 million passengers), Delta Air Lines at 3.1 million passengers (11.8%) market share, and American Airlines rounding out the top five at 2.8 million passengers or 10.9%. San Diego remains one of California's fastest-growing aviation markets and ishome to the single busiest runway in the United States. The airport is conveniently located just three miles (4.8 km) from downtown and is Southwest's largest market in the state. The city demands strong year-round leisure and business travel.