Southwest Airlines will stop flying to four airports in the United States and Mexico, including Bush Intercontinental in Houston, due to losses recorded in the first quarter of the year and delays suffered by Boeing aircraft.
The Dallas-based airline announced on Thursday that it will stop operating at the following airports:
- Syracuse, New York
- Bellingham International Airport, Washington
- Cozumel International Airport
- George Bush Intercontinental Houston
As part of the restructuring, Southwest would also implement "significant" capacity reductions at other airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
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"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," said Bob Jordan, CEO. "I want to sincerely thank our employees, the airports, and the communities for all their incredible support over the years."
Southwest Airlines flies only Boeing aircraft, so it continues to face challenges due to delays in the delivery of aircraft that are expected to last until 2025.
The route changes will take effect on Aug. 4, 2024.
The airline will limit employment processes and voluntary leave programs to help reduce costs and is expected to end the year with 2,000 fewer employees than it had at the end of 2023.
The news comes after JetBlue announced in late March that it was also reducing flights to cities like Los Angeles and Miami to cut costs after its $3.8 billion merger deal with Spirit Airlines fell through.
