The busiest commercial air carrier at Harry Reid International Airport will expand flights and destinations from Las Vegas over the next year, Southwest Airlines announced Monday.
Among the new offerings will be Southwest’s previously announced first nonstop international flights to Mexico and a daily round trip to the company’s newest and northernmost destination, Anchorage, Alaska.
The Dallas-based carrier is adding nonstop flights from Las Vegas to 11 destinations as well as more flights on 15 existing routes.
The expansion is a part of Southwest’s initiative focusing on two of its highest rated destinations, Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida.
“Las Vegas and Orlando are foundational communities in our network and places where Southwest long has offered the most service, seats and nonstop travel options,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest’s chief operating officer. “We’re bringing more to our relationship in both places and adding to the hundreds of flights a day we already offer in both communities.”
The expansion is being made possible with the delivery of new twin-engine Boeing 737 jets to the airline’s fleet.
The announcement was timely, as discount air carrier Spirit Airlines shut down operations nationally on Saturday after 34 years of flying.
Southwest has already begun its first wave of new flights when it began operations to and from Santa Rosa, California’s Sonoma County wine country, in April. It also added new nonstop flights to and from Tampa, Florida, last month.
This month, Southwest is launching service to Anchorage with one daily flight.
Next month, the airline’s largest wave of expansion begins with the first of its international trips to and from Mexico with new service to Cancun and San Jose del Cabo. June is also the month Southwest will add flights to existing destinations Reno; New Orleans; Orlando; Burbank, California; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The next new destination to and from Las Vegas begins in August for Hilo, Hawaii.
The Mexico expansion continues in October with the addition of new flights to and from Puerto Vallarta, as well as new international service to another country: San Jose, Costa Rica.
In that month, Southwest also will be adding flights to and from San Franciso, Los Angeles and Oakland, California.
Southwest’s fall schedule will grow again in Las Vegas in November with new nonstop flights to and from Denver and Phoenix.
The final wave of growth is scheduled in March 2027 when the airline adds nonstop flights from Las Vegas to and from Boston; Philadelphia; Miami, Florida; and Knoxville, Tennessee. That month, additional nonstop flights will be added between Las Vegas and Orange County, California.
Specific schedules and fares are expected to be announced closer to the flights’ starting dates.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
