Southwest’s Summer 2026 Schedule Plans Eight Routes

Anchorage officially joins the carrier’s system as service grows in several U.S. and international markets.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, October 09, 2025 at 09:15 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Southwest 737 MAX 8 in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Southwest has opened its summer 2026 schedule, unveiling a broad expansion of its route network that includes new service, added frequencies, and the airline’s first flights to Alaska.

Among the highlights, Southwest will begin its previously announced service to Anchorage on May 15, 2026, connecting the Alaska hub with Denver and Las Vegas. Anchorage will become the 122nd airport in the carrier’s network.

The airline also plans major growth across several airports. In Las Vegas, Southwest will add international service to Cancun beginning June 4, along with new flights to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.

Frequencies to a number of domestic destinations — including Nashville, Tennessee; Burbank, California; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; New Orleans; Reno, Nevada; and Tampa, Florida — will increase year over year.

Southwest 737 aircraft — Southwest Boeing 737 aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock | Robin Guess)

In Orlando, Southwest will bolster its position by adding more flights to 11 cities, including Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Nashville; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; New Orleans; Pittsburgh; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

West Coast Growth

In San Diego, the opening of the new Terminal 1 will enable the airline to operate a record high of 134 peak-day departures to 43 destinations, it said.

A new nonstop route between San Diego and Boston begins June 4, and San Diego–San Francisco flights will increase to eight daily frequencies on peak days.

In the LA Basin, the airline will boost Los Angeles service to Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose while restoring Burbank–San Francisco flights.

In Austin, Southwest will launch new daily service to Cincinnati and resume seasonal flights to Seattle. The carrier also plans to increase Austin–Indianapolis service to three daily frequencies and Austin–San Francisco to two weekday flights, going head-to-head with Delta in the Texas capital city.

Here’s a look at Southwest’s newly announced routes for its Summer 2026 schedule:

Route	Start Date
Anchorage – Denver	May 15, 2026
Anchorage – Las Vegas	May 15, 2026
Las Vegas – Cancún	June 4, 2026
Las Vegas – Los Cabos	June 4, 2026
Las Vegas – Puerto Vallarta	June 4, 2026
San Diego – Boston	June 4, 2026
Austin – Cincinnati	June 4, 2026
Burbank – San Francisco	June 4, 2026

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

United Adds Four New International Destinations

The carrier reveals a wide-ranging network update with seven routes.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, October 09, 2025 at 08:16 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A United Boeing 767-300 aircraft. (Photo: Shutterstock | Michael Derrer Fuchs)

United is expanding its international network next summer with another major transatlantic growth plan, adding new cities across Europe while increasing frequencies in several existing markets.

As part of the update, United will launch nonstop flights from its Newark, New Jersey, hub to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The airline says it will be the only U.S. carrier to offer nonstop service to those destinations.

United also plans to add year-round service between Washington Dulles and Reykjavik, Iceland, while expanding its presence in Asia with a new Newark–Seoul route and an additional frequency to Tel Aviv.

United says the new flights will increase its summer 2026 transatlantic schedule to 46 cities — more than any other U.S. airline — and bring its total to nearly 3,000 weekly international roundtrips.

Route Details

Service to Split begins April 30 and operates three times per week using a Boeing 767-300ER. Bari launches May 1, followed by Glasgow on May 8 and Santiago de Compostela on May 22, with the latter two operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

United last served Glasgow in 2019, also from Newark.

A United 737 MAX 8 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Noah Escobar)

The carrier’s Reykjavik route from Washington Dulles is scheduled to begin May 21 and will operate daily year-round with Boeing 757-200 aircraft.

The Newark–Seoul flight starts Sept. 4 and will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. United adds a third daily Newark–Tel Aviv roundtrip beginning March 28 using the 787-9.

Route	Frequency	Start Date	Aircraft Type
Newark – Split, Croatia	3x weekly	April 30, 2026	Boeing 767-300ER
Newark – Bari, Italy	4x weekly	May 1, 2026	Boeing 767-300ER
Newark – Glasgow, Scotland	Daily	May 8, 2026	Boeing 737 MAX 8
Newark – Santiago de Compostela, Spain	3x weekly	May 22, 2026	Boeing 737 MAX 8
Washington Dulles – Reykjavik, Iceland	Daily (year-round)	May 21, 2026	Boeing 757-200
Newark – Seoul, South Korea	Daily	September 4, 2026	Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Newark – Tel Aviv, Israel	3x daily (adds 1 new frequency)	March 28, 2026	Boeing 787-9

Returning Markets

United confirms it will also bring back all nine destinations introduced during its record Summer 2025 expansion, including Ulaanbaatar, Nuuk, Palermo, Bilbao, Madeira, Faro, Dakar, Kaohsiung, and Puerto Escondido.

Service to Nuuk will begin one week earlier than last year on June 6. Flights to Madeira will resume three weeks earlier on May 16.

Ryan Ewing

flyCAA Bets on Converted Airbus A321 to Boost Congo’s Air Freight Capacity

Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation (flyCAA) has taken delivery of Africa’s first Airbus A321P2F.

Victor Shalton

Thursday, October 09, 2025 at 05:30 AM ET

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321 Precision Conversions plans to start cutting cargo doors and making other modifications to A321 passenger jets so they can carry palletized cargo. (Photo: 321 Precision Conversions)

Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation (flyCAA), a Kinshasa-based carrier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has taken delivery of Africa’s first Airbus A321P2F (Passenger-to-Freighter) aircraft.

The aircraft, a 1998-built Airbus A321 registered as 9S-PEB (MSN 808), was previously operated by Air Moldova before undergoing conversion by PEMCO Conversions in Tampa, Florida. PEMCO is a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Aircraft Transport Services Group (ATSG), while the aircraft itself is owned by another ATSG subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM).

Following conversion, the freighter was ferried to Kinshasa via Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI), and Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (OXB), arriving at N’djili International Airport (FIH) on September 28, 2025.

With this delivery, flyCAA joins a select group of global operators of the A321P2F. According to CH-Aviation data, few airlines currently operate the type — SmartLynx Airlines Malta, GlobalX, Raya Airways, Sichuan Airlines, Levu Air Cargo, Fly Mara Airlines, a Kenyan private carrier that began operating a leased A321P2F from Egypt’s Sky Vision Airlines in August 2025 for an initial six-month period and now flyCAA — bringing the total number of A321P2Fs in service to 13 since the program’s launch in 2021.

The addition of the A321P2F enhances flyCAA’s growing cargo capabilities. The airline already operates a Boeing 767-200F (MSN 23141), which joined the fleet in 2024, and has been actively strengthening its position in the domestic cargo market. The new freighter is expected to boost competitiveness against Serve Air Cargo, its primary rival, which operates a fleet of six Boeing 737-300Fs and three 737-800Fs.

Although traditionally a passenger carrier, flyCAA has been steadily diversifying its operations. Its current passenger fleet includes three Airbus A320ceo, one A330-200, one inactive A330-300, and one ATR72, also inactive. The airline operates around 14 domestic routes across the DRC and has plans to launch international services to Johannesburg, marking a new phase in its network expansion.

Founded in 1991, flyCAA merged with flyCongo in 2012, combining their resources to form one of the DRC’s leading passenger and cargo airlines. The carrier is owned by the Blattner family, whose business interests extend into construction, agroforestry, and finance.

Victor Shalton

Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.

Virgin Wins Trademark Dispute With Alaska

Alaska challenged an earlier decision that required it to pay $160 million in total.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 05:50 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Virgin America aircraft A320 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

A British court has settled a long-running trademark dispute between Alaska Airlines and Virgin Group, the owner of Virgin Atlantic.

In a ruling issued Oct. 3, a court in London said Alaska must pay Virgin Group for the right to use the Virgin name and branding, even though Alaska has not exercised that right in the years since its acquisition of Virgin America between 2016 and 2018.

“The effect of my conclusions is that Virgin is entitled to a monetary judgment in the amount of the [minimum royalty] in the period to 23 September 2022,” the judge wrote. “It follows that Virgin is entitled to judgment with interest, and that Alaska is refused permission to effect the disputed amendments.”

The “minimum royalty” amounts to just under $8 million per year.

The source of the dispute between the two airlines is an agreement that allowed Alaska to use Virgin’s brand name. After Alaska acquired Virgin America and fully integrated its operations in 2018, the carrier stopped using Virgin branding and argued that it should no longer be responsible for the minimum royalty.

Virgin Group argued that it was owed the minimum royalty each year between 2016 and 2039. Alaska countered that this arrangement was never explicitly spelled out by Virgin Group or Virgin America.

Virgin Atlantic 787 — A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner seconds from touchdown in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Alaska also argued that Virgin Group violated parts of the licensing agreement by launching a loyalty program with Delta.

A London judge ruled in favor of Virgin Group in 2023, awarding it the full $160 million. The judge wrote that the minimum royalty is “a flat fee payable for the right to use the Virgin brand, whether or not that right is taken up.”

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

Essential Air Service Gets $41 Million Lifeline

DOT says it obtained millions in stopgap funding as shutdown continues.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 05:32 PM ET

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A United Express CRJ-200 exiting the runway in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it has obtained $41 million in additional funding to continue the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, temporarily averting a lapse in operations caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Funding for the program was initially slated to run out by Sunday as the shutdown enters its second week.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday the funds will allow the department to sustain EAS subsidies through “early November.”

EAS provides federal payments to airlines serving markets that would otherwise be unprofitable, connecting rural airports and larger hubs. The program currently supports 169 communities across the U.S., including more than 40 in Alaska.

In a statement, Duffy said the additional funds would “keep critical federal services like EAS hanging on” until Congress restores full appropriations. The department previously warned EAS carriers and eligible communities on Monday of potential contract suspensions and reimbursement delays if funding lapsed.

The agency did not say where the additional $41 million originated.

Under those contingency plans, DOT said it would suspend air carrier obligations under EAS contracts and Alternate Essential Air Service grants until budget authority was reinstated.

The newly secured funds are expected to prevent those interruptions, at least temporarily.

Ryan Ewing

Caribbean Airlines Axes Two U.S. Routes

Service changes take effect in November.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 02:36 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 MAX. (Photo: Shutterstock | Kevin Porter)

Caribbean Airlines will modify its U.S. network beginning Nov. 2 by suspending two routes. The airline said the update is part of its network optimization program and was made in response to “current economic conditions” affecting specific routes.

Effective Nov. 2, flights between Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will end. The final services will operate on Nov. 1 under flight numbers BW30 through BW33.

The network changes were loaded in last week’s Cirium Diio schedule update and confirmed by the carrier last month.

“Caribbean Airlines remains steadfast in its mission to connect people and communities across the region and beyond,” said the airline’s commercial chief, Martin Aeberli, in a news release. “While adjustments to our schedule are sometimes necessary in response to evolving market conditions, our commitment to delivering a safe, reliable, and customer-focused service remains unchanged.”

Boeing 737 water canon salute — A Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 (Photo: Caribbean Airlines)

Passengers booked beyond Nov. 1 on affected flights are being notified directly. The airline said full refunds will be issued automatically,

Caribbean Airlines will continue to serve Port of Spain from Fort Lauderdale. The carrier began connecting Fort Lauderdale and Jamaica in 2011.

In addition to Fort Lauderdale, the airline also serves New York-JFK; Miami; Orlando, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the U.S.

Ryan Ewing

Air Transat Adds New International Routes

The Montreal-based airline is also converting several seasonal routes to year-round.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 11:38 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Air Transat A330-200. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Canadian airline Air Transat is adding new routes to Europe and the Caribbean, set to start later this year and in 2026.

The Montreal-based carrier said it is expanding service from Quebec City and Ottawa and will operate some connections not flown by any other airline.

Starting May 21, 2026, Air Transat will fly nonstop between Quebec City and Marseille, France, once per week on Thursdays. The route, which will be exclusive to Air Transat, will run until Oct. 8, 2026.

A previously announced new service between Quebec City and Fort-de-France, Martinique, scheduled to launch Dec. 14 of this year, will be extended over the summer of 2026, operating once weekly on Mondays.

From Ottawa, Air Transat will fly to London Gatwick and Montreal. The Ottawa-London Gatwick route will commence May 15, 2026, and operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

This service will be Air Transat’s first transatlantic route from Ottawa. No other airline currently connects Ottawa and London Gatwick.

The Ottawa-Montreal route will run between May 5, 2026, and Oct. 23, 2026. The flight will help travelers in Ottawa access Air Transat’s full network, airline leaders said.

Expanded Service to Latin America, Caribbean

Beginning in the summer of 2026, Air Transat will also annualize several popular seasonal routes, including Montreal to Cartagena, Colombia; Montreal to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Montreal to San José, Costa Rica; and Toronto to Medellín, Colombia, via Cartagena. The Montreal to Cartagena route will be extended to reach Medellín, with Cartagena as a stopover.

Zach Vasile

JSX Adds New Route, Cuts Another

The carrier will shake up its network this winter.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 10:54 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A JSX E-145 in Austin. The airline exclusively operates the Embraer jet. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)

JSX announced updates to its network on Wednesday, including the launch of a new year-round route and the suspension of another.

Beginning Jan. 8, the air carrier will start nonstop service between Denver’s Centennial Airport and Orange County, California. The route will operate once daily, four days per week.

The company said the new link will also enable one-stop, no-plane-change itineraries for travelers connecting between Dallas and Orange County via Denver.

At the same time, JSX will adjust its existing Centennial–Dallas service to operate four days per week, down from daily.

In addition, nonstop flights between Centennial and Burbank, California, will end on Jan. 5. After that date, one-stop itineraries between Dallas and Burbank will no longer be available, though JSX said travelers will be able to connect between the two cities via Las Vegas, subject to availability.

JSX describes itself as a “public charter jet service” offering flights from private terminals with shorter check-in times and a premium onboard experience. The carrier currently operates 30-seat Embraer jets, with plans to add turboprop aircraft by the end of 2025.

Ryan Ewing

FAA Issues Brief Ground Stop in Nashville

The agency cited staffing problems.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 10:24 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Crowds at Nashville International Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | Alexandra Adele)

Staffing shortages triggered a brief ground stop at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday as the effects of the federal government shutdown continue to ripple through the U.S. air transportation system.

According to an FAA advisory, the ground stop went into effect around 6:30 p.m. local time and expired at 8 p.m. The agency cited “staffing” as the cause.

The advisory did not link the shortage to a specific segment of workers, but it likely refers to air traffic controllers, who are under significant strain due to the government shutdown.

Earlier in the day, the FAA advised officials at Nashville that it would be reducing the number of flights arriving at and departing from the airport due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Those restrictions went into effect at 2:30 p.m. local time, before the ground stop, and will continue “until further notice,” the airport wrote on Facebook.

Because of the government shutdown, federal workers deemed essential, including air traffic controllers and TSA officers, have been working without pay. Starting on Monday, the U.S. Transportation Department noted a slight increase in the number of air traffic controllers calling out sick, which translated to delays at a number of major airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, and Newark, New Jersey.

On Monday evening, Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California was left without a single air traffic controller for about six hours. Arrivals and departures at Burbank were handled remotely by controllers in San Diego.

Zach Vasile

Frontier Adding Two Routes

The carrier will expand its winter schedule.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 10:07 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Frontier A321neo. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Frontier is set to add two routes to its network starting next year. In recent months, the Denver-based airline has bolstered service in some markets as fellow ultra-low-cost carriers Spirit and Avelo reshuffle their networks.

Starting on Feb. 13, Frontier will resume an intra-Florida route between Orlando and Pensacola. This route is currently scheduled to operate five times in February and once in March.

The carrier last served this route in 2022.

Frontier A320neo — A Frontier Airbus A320neo (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Beginning Dec. 7, Frontier will launch three-times-weekly service between Burbank, California, and Las Vegas, a route it last served in 2023. The carrier will compete with Southwest and Spirit in this market.

The new Burbank-to-Las Vegas route comes as Avelo announced plans to halt operations on the West Coast, while also closing its Burbank base.

These new routes were noted in last week’s Cirium Diio schedule update and later confirmed by a Frontier spokesperson.

Ryan Ewing