Southwest will drop two airports from its route map later this year, the airline confirmed Friday. The update was shared in an “end of service” alert on the carrier’s website.
All Southwest flights from Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles will cease on June 4.
“Southwest Airlines will no longer operate service to, from, or through Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) and Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) beginning June 4, 2026,” the carrier’s alert stated. “If you have existing travel booked that includes Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) or Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) on or after this date, your reservation will be affected.”
The airline began serving O’Hare in 2021, complementing its existing operations at Chicago Midway.
Washington Dulles has long been part of Southwest’s network, with the carrier serving the D.C. area airport for roughly two decades. Southwest began service to Dulles in 2006, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.
O’Hare and Dulles join a handful of other markets that Southwest has pulled out of in recent years, including Bellingham, Washington; Syracuse, New York; Houston-Bush; and Cozumel, Mexico.
“As part of Southwest’s ongoing efforts to refine its network, the company will discontinue
service to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Washington Dulles (IAD), effective June 4. These changes do not represent any significant changes in flight availability for these cities, as we will continue our robust service at Chicago Midway (MDW), Baltimore Washington International (BWI), and Washington Reagan National (DCA),” an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
Affected employees will be able to bid for other positions around the airline’s network, the spokesperson added.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 1:12 p.m. ET to add a statement from Southwest.
