2 days ago
Southwest Airlines Might Fly to Europe in Major Change
Southwest Airlines is still dealing with passenger fallout over its elimination of free checked bags for most customers.
The popular, largely domestic airline's deviation away from unassigned seating was also a significant change for people to absorb.
At the same time, Southwest is making some other big moves that might be more to passengers' liking. And one of them would be massive.
The airline is planning to move headfirst into the international market. That means that Southwest could start offering fares to Europe.
The airline may add a route to Reykjavík, Iceland, in early 2026, according to Aviation2z. That would be the airline's first flight to Europe, according to View from the Wing.
The significance is that this would be Southwest's "first transatlantic route." Normally a domestic airline, Southwest Airlines "is expected by many to announce its first flight to Europe," that site reported.
Perhaps more significantly, it may signal the start of something bigger for the airline. Customers may have the ability to fly to new European routes through Southwest down the road.
The airline "may use its upcoming partnership with Icelandair (FI) to offer access to additional European destinations," the Aviation2z site reported, "leveraging Iceland as a strategic entry point into Europe."
According to View From the Wing, with the exception of Mexico and the Caribbean, Southwest has been mostly known as a domestic carrier. Until the near future, perhaps.
That site explained that Iceland is the best choice for the launch because Southwest's planes can make it there.
The Points Guy noted that the airline has had some flights outside the U.S. before, but the last one added was to Cozumel in 2020, which stopped in 2024.
"We believe its first forays into long-haul international service could involve connecting into Reykjavík, which is in range for its [737] MAX 8s," wrote Tom Fitzgerald, an airline analyst, in a May 31 report, according to The Points Airlines Might Fly to Europe in Major Change first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
