Southwest Adds 11 International Routes, Including Two to Liberia, Costa Rica

Southwest Airlines is expanding its international network with 11 new routes to beach and resort destinations, and two of them serve Liberia, Costa Rica. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the routes will be introduced between November 2026 and June 2027, giving travellers from several US cities new nonstop options.

Key facts

• 11 new international routes roll out between November 2026 and June 2027
• First launch: 1 November 2026, Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta
• Nashville gains four international routes, all operated only by Southwest
• Liberia, Costa Rica is served from both Nashville (February 2027) and Austin (June 2027)
• Passenger demand for Liberia has risen 11.8% in recent months

Which routes are opening?

The expansion starts on 1 November with a new nonstop between Las Vegas (LAS) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) in Mexico, extending Southwest's presence in Las Vegas, where the airline already accounts for more than 41.5% of all flight operations at the airport.

Nashville International Airport (BNA) receives four routes in 2027: Liberia in February, Aruba (AUA) in March, and Nassau (NAS) and Providenciales (PLS) by June. Southwest says it will be the only airline flying nonstop on all four of these routes.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) adds four international links in 2027. Service to San José, Costa Rica begins in March, followed in June by routes to Liberia, Punta Cana and Nassau. Punta Cana (PUJ) also gains two direct flights, from Columbus (CMH) and Pittsburgh (PIT), where Southwest will compete with low-cost carrier Breeze Airways on the same airports.

Why is Liberia being added?

Southwest is responding to a 11.8% surge in demand for travel to Liberia in recent months, as North American holidaymakers head for the beaches and luxury resorts of Guanacaste rather than the central capital. The airline already operates more than 40% of all flights at Austin-Bergstrom, where it opened a new crew base for pilots and flight attendants in March as part of the airport's $4 billion expansion plan.

What this means for travellers

Travellers bound for Guanacaste will have nonstop choices from two US gateways — Nashville from February 2027 and Austin from June 2027 — rather than connecting through other hubs. Nashville passengers also gain direct access to Aruba, Nassau and Providenciales, with no competing nonstop service on those four routes.

The source does not state fares, ticket sale dates or flight frequencies for the new routes, so travellers should check schedules and prices closer to the launch dates.

What happens next

Southwest also plans to introduce high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet and open its first Icon Lounges in late 2027. Four lounges are under construction in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville, developed with JPMorgan. The airline flies several variants of the Boeing 737 family, with the Boeing 737 MAX 8 the newest addition.