Southwest Airlines Adds Nine New Flights Out of Austin, Tex.

Southwest Airlines is targeting Austin, Tex.’s growing population with nine new nonstop flights from the Texas capital.

Southwest, which has long been one of the largest carriers serving Austin, is adding six new domestic flights from the city, with new daily nonstop service to Amarillo, Tex.; Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Midland, Tex.; and Ontario, Calif.

While those flights kick off on March 10, 2022, Southwest will also add three other destinations from Austin starting two days later—the carrier will fly to Panama City Beach, Fla., Sarasota/Bradenton, and Destin/Fort Walton Beach. That service will be weekly with returns scheduled for each Saturday.

Southwest, which first began serving the city almost exactly 44 years ago, specifically cited the growing population of Austin as a reason for the expansion.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data released earlier this year, Austin’s population increased 3% from the previous year, a boost of about 3%, making it the fastest-growing metro area in the U.S.

Austin is now the 29^th largest U.S. metro area, ranking just behind Las Vegas.

“We’re celebrating a growing customer base in Central Texas with this major investment designed specifically for Austin’s business and leisure travelers,” Southwest’s vice president of Southwest Business said.

“As we continue to strengthen our network in Austin, customers will see more flights on key routes as well as new destinations across our map, while enjoying Southwest’s world-famous hospitality.”