Southwest Airlines to launch nonstop Austin-Jacksonville route in October

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Southwest Airlines is set to launch nonstop service between Austin and Jacksonville, Florida, in October.

Year-round flights will begin on Oct. 2, and Southwest will operate daily flights with the exception of Saturdays. The airline previously flew the route as a once-weekly seasonal service between September and November 2023.

Jacksonville is currently not served by any other airline from Austin, after American Airlines canceled its route in January, but Delta Air Lines will also begin flying the route in May.

The Jacksonville route is Southwest's fourth new nonstop from AUS so far this year. Flights to Milwaukee and Reno will begin March 6, while service to San Francisco begins Aug. 5.

The new additions mean Southwest will have an all-time high number of departures on peak travel days by October, with 128 departing flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. An airline spokesperson told KXAN Austin was "our cornerstone in Central Texas."

Southwest is the largest airline operating at AUS. Almost 9 million passengers flew in and out of Austin on a Southwest flight in 2024 — a new record for the airline — accounting for 41.2% of all passengers at the airport.

American and Delta round out the top three largest airlines at AUS, accounting for 19.6% and 15.3% of passengers respectively.