Southwest Airlines at San Diego International Airport. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
If you’re thinking about a quick trip to the Pacific Northwest, 2026 might be a great year to plan it.
Southwest Airlines has announced that it intends to expand its presence at San Diego International Airport, offering more flights than ever before on peak days in August and September of next year: 139 scheduled departures.
The airline said that as part of its expansion, it will double its daily roundtrip flights between San Diego and Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle, launching Aug. 4, 2026.
It will also begin once-daily service between San Diego and Santa Barbara on that same date — its 44th destination.
“For more than 25 years, we’ve served more destinations and carried more customers than any other airline in California,” said Adam Decaire, a senior vice president at Southwest Airlines, in a statement.
“New facilities like those in San Diego and Burbank, along with our onboard customer enhancements, have Southwest positioned to continue offering more for customers in Southern California and beyond for many years to come.”
The airline is also adding peak-day service between Ontario and Burbank airports and Honolulu in 2026.
The timing coincides roughly with the opening of San Diego Airport’s new Terminal 1.
Southwest Airlines offers services at 117 airports, including SDX, in 11 countries. Its schedule is available for booking on southwest.com through Sept. 30, 2026.
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