Southwest Airlines Stops Flights To These Airports – Is Michigan Affected?

There's a lot to like about Southwest Airlines. The flight attendants have gone viral multiple times for their comedic approach to airplane safety. The planes are that iconic blue color. I've lived by the airport for much of my life, and it's always fun seeing them take off from afar.

However, some changes are coming to Southwest that many people are not going to like, and it could prove to be pretty impactful going forward.

Southwest's Tough Quarter

Southwest Airlines recently reported a baffling $231 million dollar loss during the first three months of 2024, with a majority of the blame being placed on Boeing. When a door blows off your plane, it unsurprisingly generates some (a lot of) bad press and manufacturing woes. Southwest was planning on getting 46 new planes from Boeing, but because of all the issues, it only got 20, severely hurting Southwest's expected profits.
READ MORE: Here's How To See If You're Flying On A Boeing 737

To try and save money, the company has pulled support from 4 popular airports, reduced coverage at 2 airports, announced it will "end 2024 with 2,000 fewer employees", and is looking into charging for seat selections.

How Does This Affect Michiganders?

Thankfully Southwest has not cut service to any airports in Michigan, but Michiganders will feel some hurt on connecting flights, especially Chicago.

Starting August 4th, Southwest Airlines has announced it will no longer be flying out of the following airports:

• Bellingham International Airport (BLI) in Washington
• Cozumel International Airport (CZM) in Quintana Roo, Mexico
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas
• Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in New York

Southwest Airlines has also announced it will be "implementing capacity reductions" at the following airports:

• Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Illinois
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Georgia

Hopefully Southwest can turn things around going forward. For now, Michiganders can continue to get their flights directly to Michigan.