Southwest Airlines is the latest airline to expand service in Florida after the closure of Spirit Airlines created a void in the state’s low-cost travel market.
The airline announced it is preparing its largest schedule ever at Orlando International Airport (MCO), including new nonstop flights and expanded service across 17 existing markets. The move follows a wave of airline expansion aimed at filling some of the void left by Spirit Airlines, Florida’s leading low-cost carrier.
As The Florida Daily previously reported, Frontier Airlines, Breeze Airways and Avianca have all announced new or expanded routes to Florida since Spirit’s bankruptcy, including adding flights to include Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and Tampa.
Southwest’s Orlando expansion includes additional frequency on 17 existing routes, with incremental increases planned throughout 2026.
Starting in June, Southwest Airlines plans to expand service between Orlando and Austin, Texas. Kansas City, Missouri. Louisville, Kentucky. San Juan, Puerto Rico; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Additional increases are planned for August in Baltimore, Maryland. New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. and Rochester, New York. Southwest Airlines plans to expand its Orlando service to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in October. Buffalo, New York. and Memphis, Tennessee. In November, the company plans to add service between Orlando and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and San Antonio, Texas.
Southwest Airlines said the update marks the airline’s largest schedule at Orlando since it began flying there in 1996. The airline also said it expects to operate more than 200 daily departures through Orlando in 2027. This is a significant increase from 2011, when Southwest Airlines announced it was offering 110 daily nonstop flights from Orlando.
The company planned its expansion into Orlando as part of a broader commitment to both Orlando and Las Vegas, the Southwest’s two largest leisure and convention markets. Southwest Airlines said it plans to add new flights from this spring through spring 2027 to strengthen its position in both cities.
“Las Vegas and Orlando are the cornerstone communities of our network and are where Southwest has long offered the most service, seats and nonstop travel options,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer. “We will further strengthen our relationships in both regions and add to the hundreds of daily flights we already offer in both regions.”
This expansion also comes as Orlando International Airport continues to serve as an important gateway for Florida tourism. Southwest Airlines has remained the MCO’s busiest airline for the past two years, according to airport data cited by Orlando Business Journal. The company held a 22% market share in both years and served approximately 12.4 million passengers.
The Southwest also has a large employment base in Central Florida. More than 4,700 people work at Southwest Airlines in the Orlando area, the airline said.
Southwest’s additional flights could help soften the impact of Spirit Airlines’ grounding on Florida travelers, especially those looking for a lower-cost option to Orlando and other major Florida destinations. Spirit’s withdrawal created uncertainty for budget-conscious passengers and opened the door for other airlines to expand service in markets where demand remains strong.
Although Southwest Airlines is not an ultra-low-cost carrier in the same model as Spirit, expanding its schedule to Orlando could increase competition on routes that serve Central Florida’s tourism economy, residents and convention traffic.
The announcement joins Southwest Airlines in a growing list of airlines rapidly moving to capture passengers in Florida’s post-Spirit market. For Orlando, the expansion will also strengthen the airport’s position as one of the Southeast’s most competitive air travel hubs.
