LAS VEGAS— Southwest Airlines (WN) has removed its planned nonstop service between Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José, Costa Rica, before the inaugural flight could take place.
The route, originally scheduled to begin in October before being postponed to November 1, has now disappeared from the airline’s latest published schedule.
The planned service would have marked several milestones for Southwest.
It was set to become the airline’s longest international route by both flight distance and scheduled block time, while also introducing the first-ever nonstop connection between Las Vegas (LAS) and San José (SJO).
The overnight operation was expected to be the carrier’s only international red-eye flight, making it a unique addition to its growing international network.
Southwest Removed New International Route Before Launch
Southwest had planned to operate the 2,297-nautical-mile (4,254-kilometer) route daily using its 137-seat Boeing 737-700 fleet.
Flights were scheduled to depart Las Vegas at 11:55 p.m. local time and arrive in Costa Rica at approximately 7:00 a.m. the following morning, with return services operating during daylight hours.
The service had already experienced one delay after its original October launch was pushed back to November.
However, the latest schedule update shows that every planned flight has now been removed, leaving the future of the route uncertain. Southwest has not publicly confirmed whether the decision represents a permanent cancellation or another postponement.
The route also featured an unusual aircraft deployment strategy.
While outbound flights from Las Vegas were scheduled with the Boeing 737-700, most return flights from San José were expected to use the larger and more fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8, reflecting Southwest’s broader fleet optimization plans, Simple Flying reported.
Costa Rica Network Expansion Continues
Despite removing the Las Vegas route, Costa Rica remains one of Southwest’s most important international leisure markets. The airline began international operations in 2014 and launched flights to San José in March 2015 from Baltimore/Washington.
Over the following years, Southwest expanded Costa Rica service from Houston Hobby, Denver, Orlando, and Nashville, while also operating flights from Fort Lauderdale before ending that route in 2020.
Liberia, Costa Rica’s second destination served by the airline, joined the network later in 2015 and continues receiving flights from multiple U.S. cities.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation data, Southwest carried approximately 2.7 million passengers to and from Costa Rica between March 2015 and April 2026.
Around 1.6 million travelers flew through San José, while Liberia handled roughly 1.1 million passengers, highlighting the country’s continued importance within Southwest’s international portfolio.
International Expansion Across Leisure Markets
Southwest still plans to serve 14 international destinations between August 2026 and March 2027 despite removing the Las Vegas–San José service.
Its network includes popular leisure destinations such as Cancun, Nassau, Montego Bay, Aruba, Belize City, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Providenciales, Grand Cayman, Havana, St. Maarten, Liberia, and San José.
Cancun remains the airline’s busiest international destination by scheduled departures.
Overall international operations are expected to increase by approximately 14% compared with the previous year, with daily departures ranging from about 20 to more than 100 flights during peak periods.
While the removal of the Las Vegas route is unusual, it represents only a small adjustment within Southwest’s broader international growth strategy.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
