Report: Southwest Airlines Planning Flights to Reykjavik
Southwest filed a petition with the U.S. DOT last month requesting permission to operate international flights.
Photo: Logan__123 / Shutterstock.com
Southwest Airlines is apparently readying to launch its first-ever flights to Europe. The news was first reported by Enilria, with several other outlets following up this week.
The rumor is that Southwest, which already has a partnership with Icelandair, will announce a new route from Baltimore/Washington (BWI) to Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport (KEF) sometime this fall, launching in spring 2026. Aside from Enilria and Simple Flying, others—including investment firm TD Cowen—have also reported the news is likely.
The news makes sense given that Southwest also filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) last month requesting permission to operate flights to any country that has an open skies agreement with the U.S.—a list that includes nations across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
The route would mark Southwest’s first-ever transatlantic flight and its first European destination. The move aligns with broader changes at the airline, which in the past year has shifted away from its longtime differentiators like open seating and free checked bags, and toward long-haul flying, premium seating, and new partnerships.
