Southwest Airlines is implementing certain alterations to its route map that are concentrated on its connectivity to California.
As initially observed in Cirium schedules and then verified by a carrier spokeswoman, the Dallas-based airline filed plans over the weekend to discontinue two domestic routes out of Southern California in the early part of 2019.
Particularly, the airline will terminate two operations in Orange County's John Wayne Airport (SNA).
On January 4, 2023, the airline will discontinue service from SNA to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).
In this most recent network update, Salt Lake City gains one new Southwest route to California while losing one.
On January 5, 2023, Southwest will start operating flights between SLC and Long Beach Airport (LGB).
From now until the end of the schedule, the new Long Beach service will run only once each day.
It's interesting to note that Southwest's modifications for Orange County come only a few weeks after the regional aviation authority debuted the annual departure slot allocation for the SNA airport.
According to the County of Orange Airport Division, Southwest was given 44 daily flights with a 4,715,800 seat capacity authorization for 2023.
Airport data reveals that this is a net reduction of 13 daily departures from the 2022 allotment.
Southwest was given 57 daily departures and a 6,020,310-seat capacity until 2022.
In light of this, it's probable that these two route reductions are a result of the annual slot distribution procedure.
Southwest reduced capacity at John Wayne Airport by nearly 15% in this week's schedule update in addition to the route reductions, Cirium data reveals.
In Orange County, obtaining takeoff and landing privileges is notoriously difficult.
Locals and tourists who want to bypass the considerably larger and busier Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) frequent SNA.
Additionally, the airport's catchment area, one of the wealthiest in the country, is attractive to airlines.
(During the pandemic, American Airlines gained notoriety for introducing a new transcontinental service to New York, flown by its poshest three-cabin plane.)
Southwest has historically operated roughly twice as many flights as its next rival, making it the largest carrier in Orange County.
Southwest booked nearly 30,000 flights to and from SNA in 2019, compared to Alaska Airlines, the second-largest carrier at the airport, which scheduled just over 18,000 flights during the same time frame, according to Cirium schedules.
Slots are used by the Orange County government to control the quantity of aviation traffic in the region.
The amount of commercial passenger traffic is capped by local officials for noise reduction and other reasons even though there isn't a federally regulated slot program at SNA in the classic sense (to control capacity).
According to the statement below, Southwest stated that these adjustments are a part of a larger plan to maintain competitiveness in the Los Angeles region.
Despite the fact that each of the five airports we serve in the LA Basin is distinct and that we have been the largest air carrier to, from, and within California for more than 20 years, many of our Southern California customers use airports other than their "neighborhood airport" to take advantage of our flexibility and hospitality.
Our schedule changes in response to what our customers need from us, and we take advantage of occasions to provide the most pertinent service possible in each airport.
Southwest is ready to compete with Delta Air Lines, which has a hub in the capital of Utah, on the new Long Beach-to-Salt Lake City route.
Southwest will compete with Delta, an Atlanta-based airline that has previously operated four times daily on the route.
It will be fascinating to see how the new Southwest flight does given that Delta can, of course, provide a variety of easy one-stop itineraries to destinations all over the world from Salt Lake City.
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