Southwest Airlines Ending Service at Two Major Airports
Southwest Airlines has revealed that it will stop servicing two major airports this summer.
The carrier will no longer fly to, from, or through Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) and Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) beginning June 4, 2026. That means that if you have existing travel booked that includes Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) or Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) on or after this date, your reservation will be affected.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the third busiest airport in the country with 85 million passengers annually. Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. is 22nd in the list with over 29 million passengers every year.
Southwest flights operating before the end of service date will not be impacted. So if you are traveling prior to June 4 you have nothing to worry about and do not need to take additional action. If you’re flying after that date, then keep reading.
Rebooking eligibility
Customers holding reservations to, from, or through Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) or Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) for travel on or after June 4, 2026 may rebook or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel to, from, or through the available alternate airports without paying a change in airfare).
Applicable alternate stations:
- Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD): Chicago/Midway, IL (MDW), Milwaukee, WI (MKE), Indianapolis, IN (IND)
- Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD): Washington/Reagan, DC (DCA), Baltimore, MD (BWI), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Richmond, VA (RIC)
Refund eligibility
If your reservation includes Chicago/O’Hare, IL (ORD) or Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) on or after June 4, 2026, you are eligible for a refund for:
- the unused ticket (even if your ticket was non-refundable); and
- any optional travel charges (such as an Extra Legroom seat or Priority Boarding) you paid for the flight(s) on which you don’t travel.
How to make changes
Most Customers can reschedule their travel plans online or from their mobile device. Customers traveling on Getaways by Southwest™ vacation packages must call 1-833-SWA-GTWY (833-792-4899) for assistance.
You can find more details here.
