Southwest adds 11 new international routes: sunny cities from 2026
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Southwest will add 11 new international routes from five US cities to beach spots in the Caribbean and Central America.
- Nashville and Austin get eight of the new routes, with new flights to Liberia, Aruba, Nassau, and Providenciales.
- The first flight starts November 1, 2026, from Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Southwest Airlines will add 11 new international routes. The flights connect five US cities with sunny beach destinations. The first one takes off on November 1, 2026.
What happened
Southwest announced 11 new international nonstop routes this month. Every destination is a place known for sun and beaches. The list includes spots in Costa Rica, Aruba, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and Mexico.
The numbers come from Cirium, an aviation data company. According to Simple Flying, the routes start between November 2026 and June 2027. Most of them begin in 2027.
Nashville gets four new routes. A nonstop flight from Nashville to Liberia, Costa Rica starts February 13, 2027. Flights from Nashville to Aruba start March 13, 2027.
Flights from Nashville to Nassau, Bahamas and to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos start June 5, 2027. Southwest will be the only airline on all four routes.
Austin gets four new routes too. A flight from Austin to San Jose, Costa Rica starts March 13, 2027.
Three more flights start from Austin on June 5, 2027. They go to Liberia in Costa Rica, to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and to Nassau in the Bahamas.
Southwest will be the only airline on these four routes as well.
Three more routes start from other cities. Las Vegas gets a nonstop flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on November 1, 2026.
Columbus gets a flight to Punta Cana on March 13, 2027. Pittsburgh gets a flight to Punta Cana on June 5, 2027.
The flights will use Boeing 737 planes. Southwest has more than 800 of these planes. It is the largest operator of the Boeing 737 in the world.
Why it matters
Nonstop flights make trips easier. Travelers do not need to change planes on the way. That saves time and lowers the chance of a missed connection.
For Nashville and Austin, this is a big deal. Southwest is the largest airline at Austin airport. It runs more than 40 percent of all flights there.
The airline opened a new pilot and flight attendant crew base at Austin in March 2026. Now it is adding its first international push from the city.
Nashville is growing too. The city is known for country music. Now it is also becoming a gateway to the Caribbean.
Southwest will be the only airline on the new Nashville routes. That means no other airline flies those exact paths.
The Las Vegas flight matters for a different reason. Southwest already handles over 41 percent of all flight operations at Las Vegas airport.
The Puerto Vallarta flight adds to that strong position.
Only two routes face competition. Columbus to Punta Cana will compete with Breeze Airways, which starts on January 8.
Pittsburgh to Punta Cana will compete with Breeze Airways, which starts on January 7. Breeze is a low-cost airline based in Utah. All the other nine routes are served only by Southwest.
What happens next
This international expansion is part of a bigger plan. Southwest is planning its largest-ever summer schedule for 2027. The summer plan covers 15 cities and runs from June 3 to August 2, 2027.
Nine of the new summer routes have never been flown by Southwest before. Austin is the biggest winner in the plan.
Southwest expects about 143 departures on peak days there. That will be its largest schedule ever at Austin airport.
Nashville is also growing fast. Southwest plans up to 220 daily flights there next summer.
Both Austin and Nashville are getting Southwest's first airport lounges. Construction is already underway at both airports.
Travelers should watch the booking dates. The summer flights run only from early June to early August 2027.
The international routes listed here start between November 2026 and June 2027. Planning a trip to one of these beach spots? Check the cheapest day of the week to fly before you book.
Long flights can be tiring. Simple tips can help you sleep on a long flight and arrive fresh.
It also helps to pack a smart carry-on so you have what you need on the plane.
Austin airport itself is growing. The airport has a 4 billion dollar expansion plan underway.
Southwest's new routes add to its Austin base. The airline already runs 53 domestic and international routes from Austin.
More direct flights mean more choice for travelers. For beach lovers in Texas and Tennessee, getting to the Caribbean just got simpler.
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