# Southwest launches nonstop service from CVG to Austin **Published:** 2026-06-05T16:16:38.000Z **Source:** [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188039/2026/06/southwest-and-cvg-celebrate-inaugural-nonstop-flight-to-austin-texas-2/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/southwest-launches-nonstop-service-from-cvg-to-austin CVG Airport celebrated a significant milestone on June 4 when [Southwest Airlines launched its inaugural nonstop flight to Austin](https://www.lanereport.com/188039/2026/06/southwest-and-cvg-celebrate-inaugural-nonstop-flight-to-austin-texas-2/), marking the carrier's ninth anniversary at the Cincinnati airport. The celebration included Southwest-branded cookies, a custom theme song, and prizes for passengers, with station manager Noel Curry sporting a cowboy hat and shirt while traveling on the maiden flight to Austin. The expansion represents significant growth for Southwest at CVG, which has increased its summer 2026 schedule by more than 40 percent in flight volume and seat capacity compared to the previous year. Southwest now offers year-round service from the airport to Austin, Nashville, Baltimore, Denver, Orlando, and Chicago Midway, along with seasonal service to Phoenix. The airline has expanded frequency on all routes from 2025 to 2026. Passengers expressed enthusiasm about the new route. Carol Norris of Troy, Ohio, who was traveling to her niece's wedding in Austin, said she was "so excited about this direct flight." CVG held a random prize drawing before boarding, awarding one traveler seven days of free parking at the airport. Larry Krauter, CVG's chief executive officer, said the new route reflects strong demand in the region. "Southwest continues to demonstrate its commitment to CVG and our region with this new Austin route," Krauter said. "Its expanded presence here, now offering seven destinations with increasing frequency, reflects the demand and vitality of our market. Austin is a great addition as the two cities share much in common as growing tech hubs and vibrant cultural centers." [Austin has emerged as one of the nation's strongest tech hubs](https://opportunityaustin.com/austins-tech-resilience-built-for-whats-next/), with [companies like Apple, Google, Dell, and Facebook establishing major operations in the city](https://www.dallasfed.org/research/heart/austin). The region continues to attract technology firms and skilled workers seeking competitive salaries and favorable tax conditions. CVG welcomed 9 million travelers in 2025 and offers more than 55 nonstop destinations with 14 airlines and tour operators. The airport is home to Amazon Air's Hub and DHL Express' Global Superhub for the Americas, generating an annual economic impact of $10.5 billion on the local region. ## Sources - [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188039/2026/06/southwest-and-cvg-celebrate-inaugural-nonstop-flight-to-austin-texas-2/) - [Opportunity Austin on Austin's tech sector growth and resilience](https://opportunityaustin.com/austins-tech-resilience-built-for-whats-next/) - [Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas article on Austin as a tech hub](https://www.dallasfed.org/research/heart/austin) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Lane Report (KY Business), enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lanereport.com/188039/2026/06/southwest-and-cvg-celebrate-inaugural-nonstop-flight-to-austin-texas-2/.