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Southwest adds 5 new routes from California (2 to Hawaii) in big West Coast expansion

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Southwest Airlines is planning a big push on the West Coast in 2026.

Just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Dallas-based carrier announced five new routes launching from Southern California next summer.

The California expansion includes two all-new routes to Hawaii, added flights to the Pacific Northwest and a bunch of additional daily departures from San Diego.

Headlining Tuesday’s announcement were Southwest’s two new routes connecting Honolulu with suburban Los Angeles: nonstop flights to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) from Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR) will launch in June and August, respectively.

But between new routes and bolstered flight schedules, it’s a sizable West Coast expansion for the airline — one helped, Southwest executives said, by new airport terminals like the one TPG toured this summer at San Diego International Airport (SAN)

“New facilities like those in San Diego and Burbank, along with our onboard customer enhancements, have Southwest positioned to continue offering more for customers in Southern California and beyond for many years to come,” Adam Decaire, Southwest’s senior vice president of network planning and network operations control, said in a statement Tuesday.

Read more: The true Southwest Airlines reboot is almost here — and it may be just the beginning

5 new Southwest Airlines routes

Here’s a full rundown of Southwest’s new routes unveiled as part of this announcement:

Route Details
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>ONT to HNL</span> <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Launches June 4, operates daily</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>BUR to HNL</span> <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Launches Aug. 4, operates on peak travel days</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Long Beach Airport (LGB) to Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon</span> <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Launches Aug. 4, operates six times per week</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>LGB to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)&nbsp;</span> <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Launches Aug. 4, operates six times per week</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>SAN to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)&nbsp;</span> <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Launches Aug. 4, operates daily</span>

Adding frequencies from San Diego

It’s not just new routes.

Southwest on Tuesday said it would double its daily round-trip service on three routes from San Diego beginning on Aug. 4:

  • SAN to PDX
  • SAN to SEA
  • SAN to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

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West Coast turf war?

This Golden State expansion by Southwest has a bit of a “turf war” flavor to it. Both the new routes Southwest announced — and the routes where it’s adding extra daily flights — are in key markets served by West Coast powerhouse Alaska Airlines.

In recent months, Alaska has significantly bolstered its hubs at SAN and PDX and added routes out of BUR, citing opportunity in those markets and — especially in San Diego — strong interest in its Atmos Rewards loyalty program.

Read more: Alaska Airlines plots global expansion — with a little help from Portland, San Diego and Atmos Rewards

KEVIN CARTER/GETTY IMAGES

Southwest, for its part, said it now plans to operate an all-time high of 139 departures on peak days in August and September 2026 in San Diego.

Growing Hawaii network

As for Southwest’s Hawaii expansion, adding new flights to ONT and BUR will give the carrier 10 routes between HNL and the U.S. mainland.

Southwest launched service to the Aloha State in 2019, and appears to be laying the groundwork for an airport lounge in the state capital.

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