Southwest Cuts Nine Routes From Baltimore Base

Southwest Airlines has removed nine destinations from its schedule at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, the cuts occurred between January 2025 and September 2026 when compared to the network from October onward.

Despite these reductions, the airport continues to be a key operational base for the carrier.

Two Cuts Last Year

The first route to be shelved was the service to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), which ended in March of last year. Southwest then ceased all flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) from Baltimore in November 2025. The airline stated this was part of a broader withdrawal from O'Hare, favoring its operations at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) instead.

In a statement obtained by CBS News, Southwest commented on its struggles at O'Hare, saying, "Operating at Chicago O'Hare continues to be challenging, and we are confident we can serve Chicagoland through our strongly-held position at Chicago Midway."

Seven More Routes Removed in 2026

Seven additional routes were cut from Baltimore this year. The sole international cancellation was the service to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) in Mexico, which last operated in April. Travel writer Adrienne Barile notes that United Airlines will begin flying to Los Cabos from nearby Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in October.

Domestically, flights to Colorado Springs and Long Beach ended in January 2026. The route to Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) in Mississippi was cut in March. American Airlines serves Jackson from nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

In August 2026, Southwest ended three more domestic routes: Oklahoma City, Ontario, and Pensacola. Cirium data shows these corridors had varying load factors in the 12 months ending June 2026.

The airline's average load factor across all its Baltimore routes during that period was 75.98%.

Southwest's Dominant Position at BWI

Southwest remains the largest airline at Baltimore/Washington International by a significant margin. Cirium data for November 2026 shows the carrier schedules 6,116 departures from the airport, accounting for 75% of the month's total 8,180 flights. This is nearly twelve times the number of flights operated by the second-largest carrier, Delta Air Lines.

The airline will use a mix of aircraft from its Boeing 737 fleet for these November operations.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) will be Southwest's top destination from Baltimore in November, with up to 12 daily flights. Its longest route from the hub is the 2,457-mile service to San Francisco.