Southwest Airlines has announced that it will cease operations at Chicago O'Hare International and Washington Dulles International airports starting June 4. The low-cost airline will maintain its flight operations from Midway International Airport in Chicago and Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Southwest will continue to provide 271 flights to 79 destinations from both airports in the Washington area, serving the largest carrier in the Washington area in terms of passengers carried.
The airline's decision comes after it encountered financial difficulties and discontinued its open-seating policy in an attempt to increase revenue from passengers.
Affected frontline employees at both O'Hare and Dulles will have the chance to apply for available positions throughout Southwest's network, including at Midway.
The airline has also communicated that it will continue to provide 'robust' service at Reagan National and Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
