Southwest Airlines is making another significant adjustment at Dallas Love Field (DAL), one of the most important airports in its network. The carrier has removed six routes from its scheduled network between October 2026 and May 2027, affecting destinations across California, the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Mountain West. The changes highlight how Southwest is reshaping its schedule while continuing to maintain an exceptionally large operation at its historic Dallas base.
Between October and May, Southwest is scheduled to serve 121 airports, including 107 domestic destinations across the Lower 48, Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories in the Caribbean. Its inclusion of Alaska represents a major network development, but the airline is simultaneously trimming some individual markets where demand or strategic priorities no longer justify continued service.
Dallas Love Field remains central to that network. Southwest has served DAL for 55 years, making it one of the airline’s original three airports. The carrier is scheduled to average approximately 381 daily movements at the airport during the October 2026-May 2027 period. That figure includes both departures and arrivals and demonstrates why Dallas Love Field remains a major Southwest facility despite the route reductions.
Southwest Airlines’ 6 Canceled Dallas Love Field Routes
A review of Southwest’s scheduled operation from DAL shows six routes that have ended since the beginning of 2026. The affected destinations are Palm Springs, Chicago O’Hare, Fresno, Myrtle Beach, Spokane, and Bozeman. Together, they represent a substantial geographic spread rather than a single regional adjustment.
The six ended routes are DAL-Palm Springs (PSP), ending in February 2026; DAL-Chicago O’Hare (ORD), ending in June; DAL-Fresno (FAT), ending in August; DAL-Myrtle Beach (MYR), ending in August; DAL-Spokane (GEG), ending in August; and DAL-Bozeman (BZN), ending in September. Four of the routes had been introduced during the post-pandemic period, while several others had been established for considerably longer.
Chicago O’Hare is particularly notable. Southwest last operated between DAL and ORD in June 2026, effectively ending its presence at one of the world’s busiest airports by flight activity. The decision reflects the airline’s much larger operation at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), which remains a major Southwest hub and provides a strong alternative for Chicago-area passengers.
Palm Springs Route Struggled With Weak Demand
The cancellation of the Dallas Love Field-Palm Springs route is especially interesting because Southwest launched it during the unusual market conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before Southwest entered the market in 2021, there had been no nonstop DAL-PSP service.
Southwest’s first flight operated on November 7, 2021. The service initially continued until January 2022, returned in November 2022, and operated through June 2023. It subsequently appeared during shorter seasonal periods in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The route’s latest performance provides an important explanation for its removal. In February 2026, US Department of Transportation data showed Southwest carried only 399 passengers between Dallas Love Field and Palm Springs, filling approximately 48.5% of available seats. That was Southwest’s second-lowest load factor from DAL during the period, narrowly ahead of the Midland/Odessa market.
Not Every Missing Route Has Been Canceled
There is an important distinction between Southwest’s six ended routes and several destinations that do not appear in the current October-to-May schedule. Boise, Hartford, and Providence are absent from the published schedule, but that does not necessarily mean Southwest has permanently canceled those services.
Flights to those destinations typically return around June 6 or June 7, which falls just beyond the current schedule window ending June 2. Hartford is particularly notable because Southwest only launched the first DAL-Hartford flight on June 6, 2026. The seasonal nature of these markets means additional schedules could be added later.
Consequently, the six routes that have actually ended should be separated from destinations temporarily missing because of the airline’s limited booking horizon. That distinction is important when assessing the scale of Southwest’s Dallas network changes.
Dallas Love Field Remains a Southwest Powerhouse
Despite the cancellations, Southwest is not retreating from Dallas Love Field. An average of 381 daily movements would make DAL the airline’s seventh-busiest airport during the coming schedule period. Only Las Vegas, Denver, Baltimore/Washington, Phoenix, Nashville, and Chicago Midway are scheduled to have more Southwest movements.
Las Vegas is expected to become Southwest’s busiest airport, overtaking Denver as the carrier continues adjusting its network. Meanwhile, Nashville has emerged as another important growth market, with Southwest increasingly using BNA as an alternative connecting point for passengers traveling through traditionally important airports such as Atlanta and St. Louis.
The Dallas changes therefore appear less like a broad withdrawal and more like a targeted reshaping of Southwest’s schedule. While six routes have disappeared, Dallas Love Field remains one of the airline’s most heavily served airports, with hundreds of daily movements and a strategic role that dates back more than half a century.
