A Huge Name In Domestic Airlines Is Considering New Routes To Popular Countries (What This Means For Future Travel)

Travelers planning a trip to Europe may have a new U.S. airline to choose from in the coming years. At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's annual aerospace summit, which ran from September 9 to September 11 in Washington D.C., Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said that long-haul international flights could be on the horizon. He explained, via Flight Global, "We've got ... millions of folks that love Southwest Airlines. They would love to fly us to Europe, as an example." Southwest Airlines currently has a few international destinations already on its roster, including Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. At present, it's not clear which other countries could potentially be in Southwest's future, and there's no confirmed timeline.

However, the airline expanded its first partnership with an international carrier, Icelandair, in February of this year. Currently, travelers can conveniently fly into Baltimore, Denver, Nashville, Orlando, Pittsburgh, or Raleigh-Durham, and then take an Icelandair flight onward to Reykjavik. From there, Icelandair connects to nearly 40 cities throughout Europe, including popular destinations like Venice, Paris, and London. Southwest also recently announced partnerships with Taiwan-based carriers China Airlines, and EVA Air, indicating Southwest's shift to a more global model. The airline has also reportedly begun negotiations with pilot and flight attendant unions regarding future international routes.

Still, it may be a few years before this popular U.S. carrier takes on Europe. One of the main reasons is that wide-body aircrafts would be needed to introduce longer flight routes. Currently, the airline operates with Boeing 737s. Although 737s are technically able to fly between the U.S. and Europe (and United Airlines currently utilizes the plane type for transatlantic flights), Southwest would need an ETOPS certification for those aircraft to do so. This would involve substantial aircraft and operating adjustments. As of February, 2025, just 138 of over 800 Southwest aircrafts were ETOPS-certified. This certification allows planes to fly over open water and service overseas destinations as well as Hawaii.

Amid reports of financial struggles, Southwest has introduced numerous updates lately, including doing away with some of the features that have long made it one of the most underrated U.S. airlines. Earlier this year, Southwest began charging baggage fees, and beginning in January, 2026, travelers will say goodbye to the airline's characteristic open seating policy. As for one more popular change, starting in October, 2025, all customers who are part of Southwest's loyalty program, Rapid Rewards, will enjoy free Wi-Fi while flying. During the recent aerospace conference, it was also hinted that airport lounges could be a part of Southwest's future plans.