May 11--Southwest Airlines is ending round-trip flights from Akron-Canton Airport to Chicago's Midway International Airport starting in early November.
"As of this point, the Chicago flights are removed," said Kristie Van Auken, spokeswoman for Akron-Canton Airport. "They could be added back in."
Southwest has posted on a company blog that it is ending the Akron-Canton/Chicago flights.
"Southwest is discontinuing the Akron-Canton to Chicago Midway route, beginning Nov. 2," a Southwest spokesman said via email. "Of course, we never like to discontinue a route, but we are forced to tweak our schedule to be the most productive and profitable it can be."
Van Auken said airport officials will negotiate with Southwest to reinstate the Chicago flights. "There is a lot happening that is still in flux," she said.
The airport is seeing strong bookings on Southwest to Chicago this month and into June and July and hopes that persuades the airline to keep the flights going, Van Auken said.
The airport and discount airline Southwest last year announced there will be two daily round-trip flights to Chicago. The trips were added after Southwest purchased AirTran Holdings in 2011 and began switching AirTran Airways flights to Southwest.
"We are optimistic about our relationship in general with Southwest. They are a great airline," Van Auken said. "We have a very promising future with them."
Southwest noted that it also is discontinuing routes at other airports starting in November, including round-trip flights from Denver to Providence and Jacksonville to Las Vegas.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or [email protected].
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