AUSTIN (KXAN) — Southwest Airlines will launch two new routes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in June while expanding frequency on three other routes.
The airline announced Thursday nonstop service to Cincinnati will begin June 4, while daily nonstop seasonal service to Seattle will begin the same day. Southwest previously served the AUS-SEA route, last operating flights in 2018.
The AUS-Cincinnati route is currently served by Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines. Seattle is served directly from Austin by Delta and Alaska Airlines.
In addition, Southwest will increase the number of flights on three other nonstop routes. AUS-Orlando will have two more daily flights Sunday through Friday, with one additional flight on Saturdays. AUS-Indianapolis will move to three daily flights, while AUS-San Francisco will increase to two flights Monday through Friday.
Southwest previously announced three other new nonstop flights that will begin in March. Seasonal service to Fort Myers, Florida, Palm Springs, California, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, will start March 7.
Southwest remains the largest airline operating at AUS in terms of passenger traffic. About 41% of passengers that flew in or out of Austin so far this year were on a Southwest flight, more than double its next two closest competitors, Delta and American Airlines, combined. In total, more than 5.8 million passengers were on a Southwest flight between January and August.
As airlines are jockeying for space in AUS’ planned second terminal, Southwest hopes to play a big role. CEO Bob Jordan recently told the Austin Business Journal the airline could make Austin its busiest airport in Texas, surpassing both Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby.
“We look forward, pending approval, to being the anchor tenant in the new Concourse B and really growing our service,” Sherri Hull, the airline’s director of governmental affairs, said. “We’re going to grow our gates to 18 gates, pending execution and pending approval, and that’s huge. When you think about that growth, that signals not just a lot of gates, but a lot of flights. A lot of flights means a lot of passengers and a tremendous economic impact to the city of Austin.”
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