Travelers in Austin may soon have more flight options with Southwest Airlines announcing plans to increase flights to the state capitol’s airport in 2022.
The carrier, which has been serving Austin-Bergstrom International Airport for 44 years, announced in a news release with the airport that it will increase its offerings by adding more than 20 flights beginning in March.
“We’ve designed a schedule specifically focused on bringing key nonstop routes and adding additional frequencies on already served routes for Austin’s business and leisure travelers,” Dave Harvey, vice president of Southwest Business, said in the statement.
With the announcement, Southwest will be offering up to 105 departures a day to 46 destinations.
“As Austin and its airport continue to grow, we are excited to welcome these new and expanded services to central Texas,” Jacqueline Yaft, the airport’s CEO, said in the statement.
As part of the new schedule, Southwest will add nine new daily destinations, including Amarillo, Charleston, Columbus, Midland and Ontario. Beginning March 10, the airline also will offer flights to Puerto Vallarta. Harvey noted that Southwest has enjoyed a great relationship with the airport and community.
“We thank our customers for the more than 44 years of success from the capitol city and we look forward to welcoming more central Texans onboard our new flights in the coming months," he said in the statement.
According to Simple Flying, the Dallas-based airline is boosting its offerings in an effort to return its network to pre-pandemic levels. Southwest also plans to offer seasonal weekly flights to Panama City, Sarasota/Bradenton and Destin/Fort Walton Beach. According to the news release, these flights are scheduled to begin March 12.
The announcement will benefit both business and leisure travelers. According to the news release, the new flights can be booked now on southwest.com.
The announcement also was good news for other airports, including Ontario International Airport in California. According to a news release, its passenger traffic in August approached pre-pandemic levels.