Southwest Launches 11 New Nonstop Routes From Major City: See Full List Now

James lives and breathes route development. Educated in Air Transport Management at Loughborough University and Cranfield University, James has a PhD in Airline Strategy and Economics. James was Market Opportunity Analyst at London Luton Airport and Chief Analyst at anna.aero. He taught airline strategy and economics to undergraduate and postgraduate students for five years and has worked closely with multiple carriers on route and market intelligence projects. He is based near London, UK.

Las Vegas has played a critical role in Southwest Airlines' network for many years. 30 years ago, for example, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that it had the carrier's second-highest passenger volume, behind Phoenix (really). 20 years ago, it was first, but was back in the second spot in 2025, behind Denver.

The significance of Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is for multiple reasons. Obviously, they include being a major city and a world-renowned tourist destination and conference location. But it is also influenced by the significance of connecting traffic, with 35% of its passengers transiting on another flight there. These things, and much more, contribute to LAS welcoming 11 new routes: eight domestic and three international.

Southwest's Eight New Domestic Routes From Las Vegas

The carrier's schedule from LAS was explored using Cirium Diio data. This looked at everywhere served in 2025, and then compared the network to what is operating in 2026 or which is scheduled to commence in the remainder of the year through June 2027. Things will inevitably change, so treat it for what it is: a snapshot as of October 26.

The most notable addition was Anchorage International Airport (ANC), with Alaska welcoming the self-described hybrid carrier for the first time in 2026. It operates from both LAS and Denver. DOT data for May to July 2026 shows that 18,426 passengers were transported to/from LAS, but the load factor was just 67.9%. Even July was only marginally better (71.9%), although fare data is unavailable. This initial performance explains why the route will commence nearly three weeks later in 2027.

Then There Are These Three International Routes

2026 was historical for various reasons, including being the first time that Southwest flew internationally from LAS. Interestingly, not even the ever-popular Cancun, served through Cancun International Airport (CUN), was served by another carrier when Southwest launched flights in June. However, it has had various operators over the years. For example, Volaris operated in 2014/2015, Frontier did so in 2018/2019, and JetBlue attempted to make the market work in 2021/2022.

None of the carriers which flew between LAS and CUN lasted for long. Things might be a little easier for Southwest. It'll benefit from its huge brand name in Sin City and its considerable network from LAS. It'll easily be able to supplement the local LAS-CUN traffic with transfer passengers. However, this approach did not work overly well for the first season of LAS-ANC. Will CUN be different?

Two Routes Have Been Removed From Las Vegas

Southwest has removed two routes from its LAS network in 2026, with no destination currently down for the same fate in 2027. Of course, things could change. In early 2026, the carrier revealed service from Sin City to San Jose, Costa Rica. It was set to be Southwest's longest international operation and the airline's first overnight international route. However, the link was pulled in July before the first flight took off.

Then there LAS to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). This airport pair was served between May 2021 and June 2026, with the exit entirely because Southwest has pulled out of ORD. Of course, the airline's very long-standing service between LAS and Chicago Midway continues, with up to eight daily departures this year.