Oct. 29--NORFOLK -- Travelers flying out of Norfolk will lose nonstop service to Jacksonville, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn., in March when Southwest cuts those flights from its schedule, an airport official said Monday.
Southwest is cutting the service because of slacking demand, said Charles Braden, director of market development at Norfolk International Airport.
Passenger traffic at the airport among all commercial airlines is down 6 percent through September, compared with 2012. Airport management has blamed cuts in government spending for the fall-off.
Southwest dropped its nonstop Norfolk service to Tampa, Fla., in June but will bring back that route on a seasonal basis in November, Braden said. That service is scheduled to run until April, though the airline could restore year-round service if it does well, Braden said.
Norfolk had 80 daily departures when airport staff surveyed its airlines in August, and 75 when the same count was made this month.
Southwest's flights from Norfolk to Atlanta and Jacksonville will be operated by AirTran Airways beginning in November, though those tickets will still be available on Southwest's website, Braden said. Southwest has purchased AirTran, but the integration of the two airlines is not expected to be complete until the end of 2014, he said.
Southwest also flies nonstop from Norfolk to Baltimore, Chicago and Orlando, Fla.
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