- Southwest announced it will leave four airports this year following fewer expected Max deliveries.
- The network adjustment includes flight reductions in Atlanta and Chicago, too.
- A slowdown in production at Boeing amid the 737 Max fallout has left airlines with fewer aircraft.
The ongoing Boeing 737 Max 9 fallout is continuing to burn airlines.
Southwest Airlines on Thursday posted a larger-than-anticipated quarterly loss and said it expects to receive just 20 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes this year, 26 fewer than previously expected, as the manufacturer works to fix production problems
With so few planes being delivered, the all-Boeing carrier has undertaken cost-cutting measures like limiting hiring, reducing service in some markets, and slashing 4 airports completely.
The airports losing Southwest service are:
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Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York
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Bellingham International Airport in Washington
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Cozumel International Airport in Mexico
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Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas
Boeing's Max 8 is a smaller version of the Max 9 that was involved in the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout, but both have been impacted by the production slowdown at Boeing following the near-disaster in January.
Southwest also said it would "significantly restructure other markets," including putting capacity reductions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in the earnings report, noting the impact could go into 2025.
"I want to sincerely thank our Employees, the airports, and the communities for all their incredible support over the years."
None of the four airports will be left without airline service after Southwest's exit, though Bellingham in north Washington state near the Canadian border will have only a few flight options.
Meanwhile, Southwest will still serve Houston from its busy Hobby hub.
Carriers, including Alaska, Europe's Ryanair, and United Airlines, have faced similar fallouts to Southwest.
All three have voiced frustration over the fewer aircraft they'll receive from Boeing this year, effectively slowing growth and forcing them to cut flying — something that could increase airfare.
The backlash has prompted Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to announce his resignation from the company effective year-end.
Moreover, Boeing chair, Larry Kellner, will not run for reelection, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal will also be stepping down, the company said. Thirty-year Boeing veteran Stephanie Pope has replaced Deal as the company's first female head.
New management will have much more to deal with than just the Max crisis, given an influx of whistleblowers who have come forward with further allegations against the planemaker.
Sam Salehpour, a veteran Boeing employee and 40-year aerospace engineer, told Senate lawmakers last week that the planemaker threatened him to keep quiet about what he saw as quality lapses on the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 planes.
