The world’s largest low-cost carrier by fleet size has debuted in Knoxville, with the Dallas-based airline launching services on Thursday, March 5 to four United States domestic destinations. The airline will also expand its operations later this year, with additional seasonal services added to Austin, Denver, and Tampa.

This marks the third airport that Southwest operates to in Tennessee, with the carrier already serving Nashville and Memphis International Airport. For travelers from Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), the carrier will start with five daily round-trip flights to Baltimore, Dallas Love, Nashville, and Orlando.

Low Fares Come To Knoxville

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Southwest is the world’s largest low-cost carrier, operating a fleet of more than 800 Boeing 737 airframes. The low-cost carrier recently turned heads by removing its free checked baggage policy and opting to step away from the free-for-all seat assignment on board. This has caused headaches at the airport.

Initially, Southwest will add five return trips per day to its network from Knoxville, with Baltimore, Dallas Love, Nashville, and Orlando, commencing earlier this month all set to operate year-round. Southwest joins other low-cost carriers, Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, and Frontier Airlines as the only budget carriers at TYS.

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Southwest will also add three additional seasonal routes, with non-stop flights to Denver International Airport set to take off next month, Tampa International Airport in Florida from June, and Austin, Texas from October. Further details below with data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company:

Four-Year Round Services

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While only just starting services at Knoxville, Southwest will catapult to become the fifth-largest airline in TYS by the number of flights this year. The airline’s services to Nashville, which started on March 5, will operate twice daily, followed by Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Denver, and Orlando International Airport, which will all operate their routes once daily.

Knoxville Tyson McGhee airport already has operations by Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, and United Airlines, and a number of these airlines will provide competition on Southwest’s new routes, starting with year-round services. The flights to Baltimore see no direct competition. However, Allegiant Air, American Airlines and United Airlines both operate flights to other Washington DC Airports.

Services to Dallas, see no direct competition to Dallas Love Field, but American Airlines operates nonstop flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with flights operated by American Eagle. For flights to Nashville International Airport, Southwest will hold the monopoly on this route with no direct competition.

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Services to Orlando International Airport are also operated by ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air, with Allegiant also operating indirectly to Orlando Sanford. No other airline operates between Knoxville and Orlando.

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Seasonal Services Incoming

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For Southwest, its introduction of flights to and from Knoxville is expected to bring lower fares to the region, making it easier for travelers to travel with its three additional seasonal services kicking off later this year. Services to Austin will face direct competition from Allegiant Air, which already operates on the route. Could we see a low-fare battle commence between these two cities?

The carriers’ seasonal services to Denver International Airport will see the most competition, with Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines already operating year-round, while United Airlines adds seasonal services with both mainline and regional aircraft. Southwest’s final seasonal service to Tampa will face no direct competition.

For TYS, the introduction of Southwest Airlines at the airport marks a huge milestone, fulfilling the airport’s ambitions to increase low-cost flights to the region. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee celebrated the airline’s decision to serve TYS as noted last year: “We’re honored that Southwest, a leading American company serving millions of travelers each year, will be expanding its reach in the Volunteer State, and we’re grateful for their continued economic investment.”