Major Airline Suspending Service at Syracuse Hancock International Airport

A major airline has announced they will no longer being offering service in or out of Syracuse Hancock International Airport. The company made the announcement Thursday as they announced their 2024 1st quarter financial report.

Less than 3 years after the announcement that Southwest Airlines would bring their airline to Syracuse, they are now flying out for good. Syracuse is not the only airport they are leaving. Financial woes are one of the reasons for the departure. President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan said,

To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets. Consequently, we have made the difficult decision to close our operations at Bellingham International Airport, Cozumel International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport. I want to sincerely thank our Employees, the airports, and the communities for all their incredible support over the years.

The change will be taking place and will be in effect on August 4th, 2024. Other markets will be impacted as well.

To say there were losses is an understatement. For Quarter 1, Southwest experienced a net loss of $231 Million. Jordan did say the company did experience healthy profits and margins to wrap up the quarter in the month of March.

Prior to the announcement of the airline coming to Syracuse in 2021, you had to travel to Albany International Airport to utilize the services of Southwest. Now, you'll have to drive the extra 30 minutes to have your "bags fly free." There are still a number of reputable airlines, including many budget airlines, still flying out of Syracuse but this is a big blow for regular travelers.

It is unlikely we will see the yellow, red and blue heart flying out of Syracuse again.