Southwest Airlines has furthered its commitment to Nashville by announcing the addition of a crew base at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the second quarter of 2024. Nashville will become the 12th crew base in the Southwest system with approximately 150-250 pilots, growing to 500-600 pilots and an estimated 500-700 flight attendants based in the new crew location beginning in 2024, with continued growth planned.
Southwest Airlines® began service to BNA on March 18, 1986, with eight daily nonstop departures to Chicago (Midway) and Houston (Hobby). Since then, it has grown to operate more flights and serve more air passengers as the largest carrier at BNA, offering up to 166 departures a day to 57 cities nonstop and currently housing nearly 1,000 Southwest employees. To support the carrier’s commitment to Nashville, the airline is striving to add four gates in the fourth quarter of 2023 to support its operation with a goal of 20 gates total by the end of the year to serve future customers flying in and out of Nashville.
Southwest continues to invest in future projects at Nashville International Airport. Earlier this year, BNA unveiled a renovated and reimagined Grand Lobby. The carrier is in the process of relocating its ticket counters to provide a better customer experience for those departing BNA. Additionally, Southwest continues its efforts to reinforce airport infrastructure, increase available equipment, and strengthen overall winter preparedness at BNA to help Employees more effectively operate with bolstered reliability in extreme weather.
