Southwest to resume or add flights to 9 cities from Kansas City International Airport
Kansas Citians wanting to get away this summer will have a few more destinations to choose from at Kansas City International Airport.
Southwest Airlines will add or resume flights to nine U.S. cities from KCI as part of system-wide expansion, the Kansas City Aviation Department announced Friday.
Some of the destinations are on new routes while others are on routes that had been cut earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic and are being restored.
“We are happy about Southwest’s decision to make significant increases here for Kansas City travelers just in time for summer,” said Pat Klein, director of Kansas City’s Aviation Department. “We are especially excited that our travelers will have the opportunity to enjoy new nonstop destinations.”
Routes to begin during summer 2021:
Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, one flight per day, a service restoration.
Panama City, Northwest Florida Beaches Intentional Airport, five flights per week, a service restoration that was weekend-only.
Miami, Miami International Airport, one flight per week on Saturdays, a new nonstop destination from KCI.
Portland, Oregon, Portland International Airport, one flight per week on Saturdays, a service restoration.
Pensacola. Pensacola International Airport, one flight per day, a service restoration that was weekend-only.
San Diego, San Diego International Airport, six flights per week, a service restoration.
Orange County, John Wayne Airport, one flight per day, a new nonstop destination.
Sarasota, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, one flight per week on Saturdays, a new nonstop destination.
Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, one flight per week on Saturdays, a new nonstop destination.
Start dates and fare information are available at Southwest.com. More information can be found here.
The announcement comes a week after JetBlue Airways announced it will begin service from KCI about a year from now with nonstop flights to and from Boston Logan International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Southwest’s announcement also comes as airlines are starting to see more people flying as more Americans become vaccinated.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines for vaccinated people, stating that fully vaccinated people do not need to get COVID tests before or self-quarantine as long as they continue to take COVID-19 precautions while traveling.
People who are not fully vaccinated should still get tested 1-3 days before domestic travel and again 3-5 days after they return. They should also self-quarantine for 7 days after travel — 10 days if they don’t get tested.
