Southwest Airlines has filed for a new certificate of public convenience and necessity, seeking broad authority to operate flights to all nations with which the United States maintains open skies agreements, signaling a potential expansion of its international footprint.
While the low-cost carrier (LCC) has not specified any new routes or a timeline for potential launches, the move reflects a strategic positioning to leverage existing international regulations. In a statement to ch-aviation, Southwest downplayed immediate expectations, saying the application is “not necessarily indicative of anything forthcoming.”
“We’ve been an international carrier for more than a decade. This filing supports our current international operations and takes advantage of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s streamlined process for obtaining international authority,” a spokesperson said.
The U.S. currently holds open skies agreements with 138 countries and territories. While individual agreements vary, they generally allow U.S.-certified carriers to operate an unlimited number of flights between any U.S. airport equipped with international facilities and destinations within partner countries.
According to ch-aviation data, Southwest remains heavily focused on the domestic market, with just 2.2% of its total weekly scheduled capacity allocated to international routes. Its current international network includes destinations in ten countries and territories across Central America and the Caribbean, with more than half of those flights serving Mexico.
