Southwest Airlines is expanding its Pittsburgh operation next summer with three new nonstop destinations and added frequencies on four existing routes.
The new seasonal Saturday service will connect Pittsburgh International Airport to Panama City, Florida; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Savannah, Georgia. Southwest will also increase frequencies on routes to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Cancun, Tampa, and Las Vegas.
Florida is Pittsburgh’s largest leisure market. The airport reports more than one in four of its passengers travel to the state, which explains the continued emphasis on Florida-bound flying.
Southwest now operates 25 nonstop destinations from Pittsburgh and carries 26% of the airport’s passengers — the highest share of any carrier there. American follows at 23%.
The carrier launched Pittsburgh service in 2005 with four destinations. The airport credits that entry with accelerating its transition from a connecting hub to an origin-and-destination airport, a shift that has defined its growth strategy since USAirways scaled back its hub operations there.
For Pittsburgh-based Southwest crew, the expansion adds flying and potentially affects scheduling across the new and bolstered routes when the summer schedule takes effect.
