Southwest ends services at four airports after Boeing delays

Southwest Airlines said it is pulling its services from four airports on Thursday, including from airports in New York, and Texas, as the company faces major aircraft delays from Boeing.

The airline said it had a loss of $231 million in its first quarter in a phone call to shareholders, prompting it to consider cost-cutting measures. The airline is also expected to receive just 20 out of its expected 46 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes this year, slowing the growth of the company.

"Achieving our financial goals is an immediate imperative. The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025. We are reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impacts while maintaining dependable and reliable flight schedules for our customers," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said on the call.

The airline will be pulling services from Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York. The services will be suspended starting Aug. 4, 2024.

Southwest will also reduce the amount of flights it has at two of the country's busiest airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport, according to CBS News. It is also looking at making changes to its seating options. 

The move comes just a month after fellow airline JetBlue pulled its services from airports in Kansas City, Missouri, and Newburgh, New York in March, because they were deemed unprofitable, according to CBS. It also cut its flights from airports in Colombia, Equador, and Peru.