Southwest Expands Service, Adds Major U.S. Airport
Southwest Airlines has been making lots of changes over the last several months, including adding another prominent American airport to its service list.
Last Thursday, March 5, Southwest began service to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee. McGhee Tyson Airports, which was the fastest growing airport in the United States in 2024, is now the 119th flight hub in Southwest's network, which spans 42 states, two U.S. territories and 11 countries.
What to know about Southwest's Knoxville expansion
Southwest now operates the following flights in and out of Knoxville:
- Twice-daily round trips to Nashville
- Once-daily service between Knoxville and Baltimore-Washington, Dallas Love Field and Orlando
Additionally, weekend service to Austin, Denver and Tampa will begin later this year.
“For many years, Knoxville has been near the top of Southwest’s wish list because of its vibrant community and strong demand for leisure and business travel,” said Adam Decaire, Southwest's SVP for Network Planning and Network Operations Control. “Knoxville has a passion for our Legendary Hospitality and Southwest Heart, and we’re thrilled to connect to East Tennessee as our third city in the state.”
Some needed positive press for Southwest
The first couple of months of 2026 haven't exactly featured a lot of fun headlines for Southwest, following the budget airline's decision to end its open seating and "Bags Fly Free" policies. The moves have earned criticism from both customers and employees.
Additionally, Southwest has taken heat for testing out another new policy, which involves cabin cleaners coming onto the plane in between flights and cleaning only the premium extra legroom seats while ignoring the rest of the plane.
Chris Click, a board member and safety chair for the TWU Local 556 union, which represents Southwest Airlines flight attendants, bashed the initiative in a recent interview.
“It’s an insult to the passengers that aren’t in ELR seats that they’re left with just what we can tidy. And look, there’s a big difference between tidying the airplane and cleaning,” Click said. “So up front, you’ve got these super clean airplanes. In the back, you’ve got half-hearted, tidied airplanes. The passengers are going to come on board. They’re going to see it.”