Southwest Airlines has eliminated 15 routes from Atlanta and added 6 new destinations in Nashville.

Southwest Airlines is undergoing significant modifications to its network.

The Dallas-based airline announced on Wednesday that it will extend its schedule through June 4, 2025. As part of this extension, it will discontinue several routes from one of its hubs and introduce six new flights from Nashville International Airport (BNA).

Southwest Airlines cuts 15 routes in Atlanta.

Beginning with these reductions, Southwest will withdraw from 15 markets at its hub in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that these exits will be permanent, taking effect in April 2025.

• Cleveland
• Fort Lauderdale
• Fort Myers, FL
• Greenville/Spartanburg, SC
• Jackson, MS
• Jacksonville, FL
• Louisville, KY
• Memphis
• Miami
• Milwaukee
• Oklahoma City
• Omaha
• Philadelphia
• Richmond, VA
• Sarasota, FL

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The airline has also announced plans to temporarily halt its Atlanta-to-Cancun, Mexico, service, although this route is expected to resume in the near future, according to Southwest's statement to TPG.

Southwest Airlines states that these routes are being eliminated due to declining booking trends on many of them.

"We are continually refining our network to align with customer demand, optimize our fleet usage, and enhance revenue opportunities. Such decisions are challenging for our company due to their impact on our employees, but we have a longstanding commitment of over 53 years to support them," the airline expressed in a statement.

Alongside these cuts, the airline plans to scale back its presence at ATL from 18 to 11 gates next year. Consequently, fewer employees will be needed at the Atlanta station, but the airline confirmed that all employees will be offered transfers to other stations, according to TPG.

Moving forward, Southwest will concentrate on attracting origin and destination traffic from Atlanta to other key Southwest airports, including those in Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, and Houston.

These adjustments come as the airline faces challenges in regaining profitability amid ongoing pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management.

Southwest is anticipated to reveal a comprehensive cost-cutting plan during its investor day on Thursday.

Southwest introduces 6 new routes from Nashville.

However, it’s not all reductions for Southwest. The airline is enhancing its operations in Nashville by launching six new routes.

Starting April 8, 2025, Southwest will begin service from BNA to:

• Albuquerque, NM
• Albany, NY
• Jackson, MS
• Memphis
• Providence, RI
• Tulsa, OK

Notably, this expansion signifies Southwest's inaugural foray into intra-Tennessee flights. Furthermore, it is the first occasion that Memphis has been served by a major airline from Nashville since Delta Air Lines exited the market in 2014, according to Cirium data. This departure occurred alongside Delta's dehubbing of Memphis, which was originally part of the Northwest Airlines merger in 2008.

It will be intriguing to see how this 200-mile route performs for Southwest, especially given that the drive between the two cities takes just hours.

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Four out of the six new routes are completely new for Southwest. The airline previously operated flights between Nashville and Albuquerque in 1988 and between Nashville and Providence in 2011.

This announcement follows the carrier's recent establishment of its latest flight crew base in Nashville on May 1. Southwest plans to achieve an all-time high in Sunday departures for next April and May.

More overnight flights

Along with the new routes, Southwest revealed that it will introduce red-eye flights on five routes to Hawaii starting in April. The addition of red-eye service from Hawaii has been a long-awaited development for Southwest.

Earlier this year, the airline launched its first red-eye routes in the continental U.S., subsequently expanding its overnight flight options to include 10 markets.

Starting April 8, 2025, Southwest will introduce daily red-eye service in the following markets:

• Honolulu to Las Vegas
• Honolulu to Phoenix
• Kona, Hawaii, to Las Vegas
• Kahului/Maui, Hawaii, to Las Vegas
• Kahului/Maui to Phoenix

Introducing overnight flights from Hawaii will enable the airline to provide additional connecting itineraries for travelers heading to destinations east of the West Coast.