By james art 
Low-cost giant Southwest Airlines has launched a new service connecting Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama with Nashville International Airport (BNA) in Tennessee. This is the second new service the airline has launched from BHM in recent days, the other being to Phoenix, Arizona which started last month.
New flight between Birmingham and Nashville
On November 3 
Southwest Airlines began new service between Birmingham, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee. According to Flightradar24, the Boeing 737-700 took off almost on schedule at 10:49.
However, the celebration for this inaugural flight began much earlier than the scheduled departure. Birmingham Airport Authority invited journalists to cover the event and passengers on this service were also treated to a special gate party which also included free snacks and gifts. In addition, passengers were given the opportunity to register for Southwest Airlines gift cards.
More flights to the airport
Operations at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport are getting busier every month as airlines add more services. About a month ago, on October 3rd, Southwest launched new round-the-clock service to Phoenix, Arizona from BHM.
This was originally supposed to start on November 3, but the airline decided to start a month earlier. BHM previously said these two new routes to Nashville and Phoenix were added to test the market. said “Southwest Airlines added direct flights to Phoenix and Nashville during that time to test how the market responded.”
Photo: Nate Hovee | Shutterstock
But Southwest isn’t the only airline to add new flights to BHM in recent days. So does ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines started flights to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport from Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
It was a special occasion because it marked the carrier’s entry into the state of Alabama. Currently, the airline is the only one in the country that offers a direct flight on this route.
According to Birmingham Airports Authority, the airport is experiencing steady growth in air traffic, with total traffic up 7% so far this year. The airport saw over 3 million passengers pass through its gates in 2023 and now serves 21 airports in 18 US cities.
Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock
Earlier this year, BHM also opened a new 53,000 square foot cargo facility as part of a strategy to generate new business for the airport. BHM is investing in infrastructure and warehousing facilities to benefit the cargo industry.
Southwest to add several new routes
Southwest Airlines also recently announced an extension to its flight schedule for the 2025 summer season. Among the many flights it is adding to that schedule are regular flights on routes such as Honolulu to Los Angeles, Sacramento to Orlando, San Francisco to Baltimore/Washington, DC. San Jose, CA to Baltimore/Washington, Seattle to Nashville, Lihue to Las Vegas and Long Beach to Baltimore/Washington, among others.
Photo: dorengo5 | Shutterstock
In addition, the low-cost carrier will also launch the first international service at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS) to Cancun, Mexico on June 7, 2025. This will be a seasonal Saturday-only service. Simple Flying wrote a detailed article about this and the airline’s red-eye flights.
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