Southwest Airlines takes off to new destination from Reagan National

DALLAS, TX – Southwest Airlines today announced new nonstop service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Orlando, Florida beginning on November 1. Orlando will be Southwest’s third Florida destination from DCA, where it is the second largest carrier as measured by passengers carried. Southwest will now offer flights to 17 nonstop destinations from this convenient downtown airport.

Southwest Airlines operates more than 260 daily nonstop flights from its three Washington, D.C. area airports. Since July of last year, the airline has added seven new international destinations from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International airport, and new nonstop service from Washington, D.C. (Reagan National) to Chicago (Midway), Columbus, Dallas Love Field, Indianapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood beginning on August 9, and Orlando starting in November 2015. In addition, the carrier’s long-haul offerings from Washington Dulles have grown in the past year to add both Las Vegas, and San Diego as nonstop routes.

Also on November 1, Southwest will continue its commitment to the Sunshine State by increasing the number of daily flights to twice daily service between Austin, Texas, and Ft. Lauderdale. “These flights will give travelers even more options than ever before to reach Florida, Washington, D.C., and Texas on full-size, 737 jets without being nickeled-and-dimed,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Network and Revenue Management. “The moment we took off nearly 44 years ago, we’ve always been a little different; we are the only U.S. airline offering two checked bags for free to everyone along with a friendly boarding procedure. Our People work hard to deliver superior Customer Service to everyone, every day.”

In Austin, the carrier continues adding new destinations including already announced nonstop service starting June 28, 2015 to Santa Ana/Orange County and St. Louis. In addition to the increased number of flights serving Customers traveling to and from Ft. Lauderdale, the carrier will add nonstop service this November to Boston (Logan), Seattle/Tacoma, and will add an additional nonstop flight to the New York area (via Newark.) The carrier began serving Austin in 1977 with six daily flights, and by the end of 2015 it will operate more than 60 departures a day to nearly 30 destinations across the United States and Mexico.

This week, Southwest also renewed its commitment to the Greater Orlando Aviation Administration by investing $9.5 million in a renovation and expansion of the airline’s Maintenance Hangar and Parts Stores Facility. Additionally, the carrier is also committed to bringing more international travel options to Florida travelers with a new international terminal located at the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. With scheduled completion in 2017, the terminal will have five gates, a new security checkpoint, and new concessions for travelers.

Southwest Airlines proudly serves eight Florida airports: Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Ft. Myers (RSW), Jacksonville (JAX), Orlando (MCO), Tampa Bay (TPA), Panama City Beach (ECP), Pensacola (PNS), and West Palm Beach (PBI).