Southwest Airlines dropping service at O'Hare

Southwest Airlines plans to depart from O'Hare Airport for good in June, ending a five-year run at the nation’s busiest airport.

The airline made the announcement in emails to passengers Friday morning, saying that all of its flights at O'Hare would be canceled starting June 4. Passengers were given rebooking and refund options.

Southwest said it will continue operations at Midway Airport, its regional hub.

The airline's move comes as the Federal Aviation Administration pushes carriers to reduce flights at O'Hare this summer to reduce what it has called overscheduling. United and American airlines have been engaged in a battle for gates at O'Hare, and have been adding flights.

In a statement to the media, the Southwest said it was discontinuing O'Hare service as part of its "ongoing efforts to refine its network."

"Operating at Chicago O’Hare continues to be challenging, and we are confident we can serve Chicagoland through Chicago Midway," the airline said in a statement.

Southwest began service at O’Hare in February 2021, offering 20 daily departures. At the time, the airline said the move gave flexibility and convenience to its North Side customers.

Southwest's statement on Friday did not address the FAA's threat to cut flights at O'Hare this summer.

But that was likely an issue the company was considering, said Joe Schwieterman, director of DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

"The prospect of having to cut flights due to FAA mandates creates real difficulties if they stay at O'Hare. The FAA may impose across-the-board cuts," Schwieterman said.

Also, Southwest may have considered its competition with the airport's larger carriers, United and American, which have been adding flights.

"It is harder to be a minor player at the airport with intense competition nearby," he said.

Losing Southwest also compounds a gate imbalance at O'Hare, according to Schwieterman.

Southwest operates out of Terminal 5, the Global Terminal that is physically separated from Terminals 1, 2 and 3, where United and American mostly operate.

"There's plenty of gate capacity in Terminal 5. But [Terminal] 1 to 3 are clogged with traffic," he said. "This adds to that imbalance. United and American don't want to move flights out there."

The Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs O'Hare and Midway, said in a statement that it understands Southwest's "need to continually evaluate its network and make the appropriate business decisions." The department said it "looks forward to welcoming Southwest back to O'Hare International Airport in the future."

Southwest said affected employees at O'Hare can apply for positions across its network, including at Midway, where the airline maintains its hub.

Southwest has served Midway on the Southwest Side for 41 years, and operates 244 daily departures to 80 destinations. The airline said its Midway service already flies to the 15 destinations currently served from O'Hare.

The airline also said it is ending service to Washington Dulles International Airport.