Southwest Airlines confirms future red-eye flights

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DALLAS - Soon, travelers may be able to catch an overnight flight on Southwest Airlines.

The Dallas-based airline confirmed to FOX Television Stations that it hopes to start red-eye flights sometime in the next couple of years.

"We’ve previously shared plans to start overnight flying as we look to increase revenue while providing additional service to our customers," a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that the airline plans to offer these types of flights in leisure markets and in places where Southwest has a large presence, such as Hawaii and Las Vegas.

A Southwest Airlines airplane taxies from a gate at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The airline’s Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green said during a travel conference last week that the airline could fly about 50 red-eye flights per day when they launch.

Southwest’s spokesperson noted that the option for overnight flying won't be in the immediate future.

"Before these flights can begin, there’s a wide range of work that needs to be completed which is anticipated to take place over the next few years," she added.

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This confirmation comes after Southwest’s CEO Bob Jordan called overnight flights a "logical evolution" for the airline in November.

"We have the aircraft, it’s a great way to use an asset that you already have and use it more productively, which means more hours in the day," he told "The Dallas Morning News" at the time. "So, we will be doing red-eyes."

In December, Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $35 million to settle a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays.

The government said the assessment was the largest it has ever imposed on an airline for violating consumer protection laws.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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