Southwest Seeks Flexibility For Future International Expansion

Southwest Airlines has asked the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) for blanket authority to operate scheduled flights to U.S. open skies partners, opening the door to broader international expansion beyond its existing network in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Dallas-based carrier filed its application on May 13, requesting both certificate and exemption authority to carry passengers and cargo between the U.S. and any country with which the U.S. has an open skies agreement. The request also covers any nations that may enter into such agreements in the future.

In its filing, the airline said the expanded authority would be in the public interest, “as it will promote competition and increase the traveling public's ability to access Southwest's high-quality, low-fare service.”

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Southwest’s international network spans 14 destinations in the summer 2025 season, including Cancun, Mexico; Havana, Cuba; Nassau, Bahamas; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The airline is scheduled to offer approximately 1.88 million departing seats from the U.S. to international destinations—a 2% decrease compared to summer 2024.

However, the new request marks a shift from its current route-specific exemptions to a broader authority structure, offering greater flexibility for future international growth.

The move comes as Southwest works to strengthen its network connectivity and improve off-peak load factors, following a challenging first quarter (Q1) in 2025 marked by a $149 million net loss and a 4.4-point decline in load factor year-on-year. The airline is rolling out a basic economy product and has begun adjusting its pricing and connectivity strategy to stabilize yields and better match shifting demand.

“Given the current macroeconomic environment, we are being proactive in further reducing capacity in the second half of the year,” CEO Bob Jordan told investors following the publication of Southwest’s Q1 results.

“These incremental schedule reductions are in progress, and we expect to reduce both third- and fourth-quarter published schedules by roughly a point and a half each, bringing expected full-year 2025 capacity down to roughly 1% year-over-year.”

If Southwest’s request to the DOT is approved, the expanded authority would give the carrier more flexibility to grow internationally, easing its reliance on price-sensitive U.S. domestic leisure travel.