If your summer travel plans involve flying Southwest out of O’Hare, you may have to change them.
After five years, the airline is pulling out of the airport.
Southwest announced Friday it’s discontinuing service out of O’Hare and Washington Dulles.
Customers with flights booked after June 4th will need to rebook or get a refund.
In a statement shared with WBBM, Southwest says operating at O’Hare
“continues to be challenging, and we are confident we can serve Chicagoland through Chicago Midway.”
The carrier had expanded to O’Hare in February 2021, during a slowdown in travel due to the pandemic.
The Chicago Department of Aviation says it appreciates Southwest’s 41 years at Midway and understands the company’s need to continually evaluate and make appropriate business decisions.
At the southside hub, Southwest operates more than 240 departures each day and heads to more than 80 destinations with non-stop flights, including all 15 destinations currently served from O’Hare.
Southwest says all affected frontline employees will get the chance to bid for open positions at Midway and across its network.