Beginning this summer, passengers traveling through two of the nation’s largest airports will have one fewer airline option available to them.
Southwest Airlines has confirmed it will discontinue flights from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport after June 4.
The carrier states that all reservations made for dates beyond this cutoff will be canceled. Customers will be offered choices for rebooking or receiving a refund.
In a public statement, Southwest cited “challenging” operational conditions at O’Hare. The airline affirmed its commitment to continue serving the Chicago market via Midway Airport.
Its services at Ronald Reagan Washington National and Baltimore-Washington International airports will remain unchanged.
Southwest staff currently working at the affected airports will have the opportunity to apply for other open positions within the company.
This news follows Southwest’s announcement just last year, where it revealed the discontinuation of its open-seating system, a policy that had distinguished the airline from competitors for over half a century.