ST. LOUIS, June 29, 2026, 07:04 CDT
- Southwest will drop seven route pairs out of St. Louis in Q3 compared to the same time last year, a new Cirium schedule check shows, per Simple Flying.
- St. Louis is still one of Southwest’s biggest stations, with 3.2 million two-way seats in Q3, down 8%. The carrier holds 61% of the airport’s capacity.
- The cuts are part of a broader push to keep capacity limited and lift unit revenue, as higher fuel costs hit profits.
- Southwest was last quoted at $51.91 ahead of the regular U.S. session.
Southwest Airlines Co NYSE:LUV is slicing more service at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, dropping seven route pairs in the third quarter compared to last year, according to Simple Flying. The carrier still leads in seats at Lambert. The report cites Cirium data measuring Q3 schedules year over year through 2025.
The main story for investors is the mix. This isn’t a minor city pullback. Air Service One, citing Cirium schedules, said Southwest’s St. Louis flying falls to 3.2 million two-way seats in Q3 2026, off 8% from a year earlier. Southwest’s share drops to 61% from 65%. The carrier will run 53 routes, cutting Des Moines, Little Rock, Long Beach, Oklahoma City, San Jose, Tulsa and Wichita compared with Q3 2025.
| St. Louis Q3 2026 measure | Figure | Change | Investor read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest two-way seats | 3.2 million | -8% year over year | This local drop outpaces the airline’s network growth |
| Airport capacity share | 61% | -4 points | Still leads here, but less exposure |
| Southwest route count | 53 | 7 fewer route pairs versus Q3 2025 | Route count falls about 12% |
| Route pairs no longer served | DSM, LIT, LGB, OKC, SJC, TUL, ICT | All cut since Q3 2025 | Focus is on trimming smaller spokes |
The ratio stands out. Cutting route breadth by about 12% while seats fall 8% suggests thinner routes are dropped before any reduction at the station level. Public schedules don’t reveal route profit, but this lines up with the carrier pulling back on smaller city pairs and leaving the bigger St. Louis connections in place.
Southwest isn’t cutting back. In April, the company said it sees Q2 capacity flat to up 1% and full-year capacity growth at around 2%, which is the lower end of its previous forecast. It put Q2 unit revenue gains at 16.5% to 18.5%, with fuel expected at $4.10 to $4.15 a gallon. CEO Bob Jordan told investors Southwest is shifting capacity to “higher-return opportunities.” SEC
| Southwest system metric | Latest company figure | St. Louis read |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 ASMs | Flat to up 1% | St. Louis Q3 seats down 8% |
| 2026 ASM growth | Roughly 2% higher | Targeted local cuts, not a system-wide pullback |
| Q2 RASM guide | Up 16.5% to 18.5% | Route cuts seen as needed to hold pricing power |
| Q2 fuel assumption | $4.10 to $4.15 per gallon | Higher fuel makes weak routes harder to keep |
| 2026 fleet plan | 66 deliveries of 737-8s, around 60 jets retired | Little room left for flying low-yield routes |
Southwest’s St. Louis cuts land as the airline also trims Florida service. The Suncoast Post, pointing to a Simple Flying review, reported Southwest dropped 43 Florida-linked routes from its 2025-26 schedules. Even so, the carrier is still slated to carry about 29.4 million passengers in the state for the 12 months ending February 2026, which amounts to 14% of Florida’s air market.
| Cut cluster | Reported or confirmed data | Why investors care |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 7 route pairs dropped for Q3 from last year | Raises questions about stickiness at a dominant airport |
| Florida | 43 route cuts linked to Florida reported | Shrinks leisure flying but carrier stays in market |
| Chicago O’Hare / Washington Dulles | Flights paused in June, moving capacity elsewhere | Pulls the plug on small-airport efforts |
| New 2026 cities | St. Thomas, Knoxville, St. Maarten, Santa Rosa, Anchorage | Cuts offset by selective network adds |
Southwest is adding more routes it likes. Its booking page now includes new 2026 flights to St. Thomas, Knoxville, St. Maarten, Santa Rosa and Anchorage. For St. Louis, the page still lists near-term fares to Chicago Midway, Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Cleveland and Las Vegas.
Adam Decaire, Southwest’s SVP for network planning and operations, said in the airline’s summer 2026 schedule release that the company looked at industry trends and picked cities like Las Vegas, Orlando and San Diego to give customers more options.
For investors, the St. Louis market is a direct way to judge Southwest’s 2026 plan. The airline rolled out bag fees, basic economy, assigned seats, and extra-legroom options. In Q1, it said about 60% of its customers paid to upgrade from the basic offering, up from around 20% in 2025. That works only if planes go where people pay higher fares.
Cuts at an airport where Southwest holds 61% could help competitors or send local travelers to other connections. But trimming weaker routes might help unit revenue with fuel prices high. Southwest’s next update comes at its Q2 call July 23.
