US low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has confirmed additional network development for its own operation and that of its sister carrier AirTran Airways as part of an extension of its flights schedules until November 2, 2012. The changes mainly represent the reintroduction of a number of routes previously served by the carriers and the switch of some flying between AirTran and Southwest.
"Southwest and AirTran are continuing to make schedule additions and adjustments to provide the best flight schedule possible for customers," said Bob Jordan, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Southwest Airlines and President, AirTran Airways. "We are looking for ways to maximize our fleet, our operations, and our low fares to give Customers more options when traveling."
Included among the schedule adjustments will be the introduction of two new routes with Southwest launching a daily service between Detroit Metro Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International from September 30, 2012, a city pair last served by the carrier in 2006, and AirTran adding a link between Des Moines and Chicago Midway.
“Las Vegas is Detroit’s third largest travel market with over 1,000 passengers flying each direction every day,” said Joe Cambron, Director of Air Service Development, Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), following Southwest’s announcement. “Since more than 90 per cent of those passengers flying this route are Detroit-area residents, it is our largest market for local travelers and a priority for the Airport Authority,” he added.
Among the other network changes, Southwest will now operate two daily non-stop flights between Atlanta and San Francisco as it transitions this route from an AirTran-operated city pair to one operated by Southwest, while the carrier will also will initiate one daily rotation between Atlanta and Orlando, alongside the nine daily flights offered by AirTran.
Seasonal routes will also return with AirTran offering flights between Baltimore/Washington and Ft Myers and between Grand Rapids and Orlando and a Saturday service between Flint and Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Southwest will add daily seasonal services to Indianapolis and Jackson from Orlando, although it will stop services between Seattle Tacoma and both Atlanta and Nashville; Las Vegas and both Cleveland and Norfolk; and between Ft Lauderdale Hollywood International and Phoenix. AirTran will also suspend its Des Moines – Milwaukee route during this period.
Overall through frequency changes, the revised Southwest route network will offer a system wide decrease of nine daily round-trips and the AirTran network by eight daily round-trips during this schedule period. Also of note, Southwest will transfer a former AirTran 737-700 into its own fleet from mid-October, while at the same time expanding its 737-800 fleet by two further aircraft to 24 units.
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