Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) began operating “red-eye” flights from Las Vegas Harry Reid on February 13, the first time the carrier has scheduled 24-hour services.
It operated its first overnight flights from there to Baltimore International and Orlando International, and since then from Los Angeles International to both Baltimore and Nashville International, and from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Baltimore.
In its fourth quarter of 2024 results, the company said it “expects to further increase asset utilisation” through this initiative.
“This will ramp up to a total of 33 red-eye markets in the June 2025-based schedule, including Hawaii routes,” said Ryan Green, executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
He added that the management is pleased “with how red-eye flights are booked to date with nearly 75% of passengers on a connecting itinerary either before or after the red-eye flight. Red-eye flights capitalise on peak seasonality and maximise network connectivity while generating incremental load factor.”
Last year, the company told ch-aviation that the plan was to run around up to 50 red-eyes per day. Separately, it said that these flights were expected to create the equivalent of about 18 free aircraft in 2025, increasing revenue without additional aircraft or headcount, as it faces reduced B737 MAX deliveries and a complex business turnaround following the attempted coup by activist investor Elliott Investment Management last year.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows Southwest Airlines’ fleet comprises 813 aircraft, namely 359 B737-700s, 204 B737-800s, and 250 B737-8s.
