Delta adds flights as Southwest cuts routes from KCI
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Flying out of KCI? You'll soon have another way to Austin, but fewer chances to get to California without a layover.
The big picture: Delta Air Lines announced it will launch nonstop service between Kansas City International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in June 2026. The route, operated by Delta Connection partner SkyWest, adds competition on a corridor Southwest already serves.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines is ending nonstop flights from Kansas City to Hollywood Burbank on Sept. 29, Oakland on Jan. 5 and Sacramento in March.
- Once Oakland ends, Southwest will no longer offer direct flights from KCI to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- United Airlines continues to offer a daily nonstop flight to San Francisco International Airport.
By the numbers: Austin's demand has doubled over the last decade.
- "Austin is a fast-growing market from Kansas City, from 99 local passengers per day each way in 2016 to 226 local passengers per day each way in 2025," Justin Meyer, KCI's deputy director of aviation, told Axios.
- "Delta and Southwest competing on the route will be a win for travelers."
What they're saying: "We commonly shift the routes we serve at all airports we serve based on seasonal demand," Chris Perry, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson, told Axios.
- "We'll have more nonstop destinations and carry more customers than any other airline at KCI in 2026."
Meyer said there are new flights in the works from multiple carriers:
- Delta: Cancun, Orlando, Raleigh, Austin
- Alaska: Cancun, Puerto Vallarta
- Southwest: Charleston, Punta Cana, Jacksonville
What's next: For travelers, that means by next summer, you'll be able to fly straight to Austin on Delta. But if you're eyeing California, start bracing for fewer options in the months ahead.