Southwest Airlines announced its largest summer schedule ever out of Nashville International Airport on Oct. 2, 2026, adding three brand-new destinations and resuming two high-demand seasonal flights, as reported by The Tennessean.
The expansion builds on eight nonstop routes introduced earlier in 2026. Starting June 3, 2027, the carrier will launch seasonal service from Nashville to Nassau, Bahamas; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; and Boise, Idaho. The airline is also bringing back seasonal flights to Bozeman, Montana—a route active since 2024—and Portland, Oregon, which started in 2025.
Southwest Growth at Nashville International Airport
The network additions place Nashville at the center of the airline’s domestic strategy. BNA is officially Southwest’s fifth busiest airport, according to an airline spokesperson. Compared to other top hubs like Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Denver International Airport, and Dallas Love Field, Southwest expanded its footprint the most in Nashville between 2025 and 2026 with roughly 14% more departures.
Airline executives pointed to a balanced passenger base as the catalyst for the continuous expansion. "What we like about Nashville is that it’s a combination of tourism traffic, business traffic and of course the community traveling," Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said previously. "Those three things are what drive the need for air service."
Terminal Expansion and Airport Construction
To support the influx of flights, infrastructure upgrades are underway across the facility. The Metro Nashville Airport Authority has spent $539 million on renovations for Southwest’s hub in Concourse D over the past decade. Despite that investment, the carrier required additional space and took on two extra gates in BNA’s satellite concourse in September, bringing its total operational gates to 43—nearly half of the airport’s available total.
Concurrently, a $53 million construction project is underway to build one of Southwest’s first airport travel lounges. Spanning approximately 30,200 square feet, the post-security lounge will sit in the central lobby above Acme Feed & Seed and is slated to open in late 2027.
Scheduled 2027 Routes and Capacity Increases
The summer 2027 schedule includes up to 20 more departures compared to summer 2026, driven by continuous year-over-year monthly growth since the airline opened a flight crew base at BNA in 2024, a Southwest spokesperson stated.
The upcoming June 2027 launches join several other warm-weather and Caribbean routes previously placed on the carrier’s docket for BNA operations, including:
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Liberia-Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- Aruba
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nashville Airport Expansion
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When do the new international flights to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos begin?
Service to Nassau, Bahamas, and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, starts on June 3, 2027.
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How many total airport gates does Southwest operate at Nashville International Airport?
Southwest operates 43 gates at BNA following the addition of two satellite concourse gates in September. -
Where will the new Southwest airport lounge be located, and when is it scheduled to open?
The 30,200-square-foot lounge is located post-security in the central lobby above Acme Feed & Seed and is set to open in late 2027.
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