- Southwest announced it would leave four airports this year because of fewer expected Max deliveries.
- The network adjustment includes flight reductions in Atlanta and Chicago.
The Boeing 737 Max 9 fallout is continuing to burn airlines.
Southwest Airlines on Thursday posted a larger-than-anticipated quarterly loss and said it expected to receive just 20 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes this year, 26 fewer than previously expected, as the manufacturer worked to fix production problems.
With so few planes being delivered, the all-Boeing carrier has undertaken cost-cutting measures such as limiting hiring, reducing service in some markets, and slashing its presence at four airports.
The airports losing Southwest service are:
Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York.
Bellingham International Airport in Washington.
Cozumel International Airport in Mexico.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
Boeing's Max 8 is a smaller version of the Max 9. It was involved in the Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout, but both have been affected by the production slowdown at Boeing following the near-disaster in January.
Southwest also said it would "significantly restructure other markets," including putting capacity reductions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network-optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in the earnings report, noting the impact could go into 2025.
"I want to sincerely thank our employees, the airports, and the communities for all their incredible support over the years," Jordan added.
None of the four airports will be left without airline service after Southwest's exit, though Bellingham, in north Washington near the Canadian border, will have only a few flight options.
Meanwhile, Southwest will still serve Houston from its busy Hobby hub.
Carriers, including Alaska, Europe's Ryanair, and United Airlines, have faced similar fallouts to Southwest's.
All three have voiced frustration over the fewer aircraft they'll receive from Boeing this year, which is set to effectively slow growth and force them to cut flying — something that could increase airfares.
The backlash has prompted Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to announce his resignation from the company, effective at the end of the year.
Moreover, Boeing's chair, Larry Kellner, will not run for reelection, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal will be stepping down, the company said. A thirty-year Boeing veteran, Stephanie Pope, has replaced Deal and is the company's first female head.
New management will have much more to deal with than just the Max crisis, given the influx of whistleblowers who have made allegations against the planemaker.
Sam Salehpour, a veteran Boeing employee and 40-year aerospace engineer, told senators last week that the planemaker threatened him to keep quiet about what he saw as quality lapses on the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 planes.