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Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is the busiest airport in the world by the number of flights operated. While Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) has long topped the rankings as far as passenger numbers go, O’Hare’s higher use of smaller regional jets and the resultant spread in capacity means that it wins on aircraft movements. Southwest Airlines recently stopped flying to O’Hare.
Importantly, this does not mean that its presence in Chicago will dramatically reduce. Instead, these cuts are part of a wider consolidation effort that will see the carrier concentrate its traffic in the Windy City through Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW). Let’s take a look at when and why Southwest stopped flying to and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and the routes it served over the years.
Consolidation Efforts Saw Southwest Cut O’Hare From Its Network
Southwest Airlines announced back in March of this year that it would cease its operations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in June 2026. According to reporting on the matter by NBC at the time, the operational challenges posed by the sheer scale of O’Hare and the greater efficiency that it was already achieving at its more established base at Chicago Midway Airport were key reasons for the switch.
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The carrier announced the cessation of its O’Hare routes at the same time that it shared its plans to stop serving Dulles Airport (IAD) in Washington DC. This was also a matter of consolidation: much like how Southwest already had an established presence at Chicago Midway, its DC traffic could be concentrated through Baltimore (BWI) and Washington National (DCA). Southwest Airlines said that:
“As part of Southwest’s ongoing efforts to refine its network, the company will discontinue service to Chicago O’Hare. These changes do not represent any significant changes in availability, as we will continue our robust service at Chicago Midway.”
How Southwest’s O’Hare Presence Developed Over The Years
When all was said and done, 
Southwest Airlines served Chicago O’Hare International Airport from 2021 to 2026. Its arrival at O’Hare came in response to changing market conditions in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, and, according to historical scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, it scheduled 6,921 departures from there in 2021. This rose to 9,792 in 2022.
2023 saw the peak in terms of Southwest Airlines’ flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), with some 10,053 scheduled, but, thereafter, they declined in a steady manner. Indeed, there were just 6,934 in 2024 and 4,587 in 2025. From January to June of this year, just 1,833 were scheduled, with all three of Southwest’s Boeing 737 variants (737-700, 737-800, and 737 MAX 8) operating them.
Destination-wise, Southwest operated a relatively small network from O’Hare, with just 13 cities served over the years. 11 remained consistent from 2021 to 2026: Austin, Cancun, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, Orlando, and Tampa. Elsewhere, Baltimore was served from 2021 to 2025, with Panama City (Florida) only being served eight times in spring 2026.
What Do Southwest’s Current Operations At Chicago Midway Look Like?
Midway Airport has long been Southwest’s more established base in Chicago, and this is reflected by the scale of its operations there today. In August, 6,544 Southwest flights are scheduled to depart from Midway, with 37 being international (to Cancun and Punta Cana) and 6,507 being domestic. The 737 MAX 8 will operate 2,814 flights, followed by the 737-700 on 2,187 and the 737-800 on 1,543.
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Three airports will see more than 200 Southwest flights from Midway this month: Denver (DEN) on 213, Dallas Love Field (DAL) on 212, and New York LaGuardia (LGA) on 208. When it comes to distance, San Juan (SJU) in Puerto Rico is just about Southwest’s furthest current route from Midway, clocking in at 2,057 miles (3,310 km). This puts it just ahead of Punta Cana, 1,965 miles (3,162 km) away.
