TPA lands nonstop daily Southwest service to San Diego

(June 22, 2017) San Diego, here we come! Today, Tampa International Airport’s largest carrier, Southwest Airlines, announced it will launch daily nonstop flights to San Diego beginning Jan. 8, 2018. 

The new service is a major win for the Airport and the Tampa Bay region, especially for the business community. TPA research shows that traffic between the two markets is heavily driven by business passengers, with strong links between our defense, aerospace and medical industries.

“This service is going to be a game-changer for us,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano said. “Southwest is very committed to this market and this new flight to San Diego furthers that commitment even more.”

This will be Southwest’s 38th nonstop destination from Tampa International and its first on the West Coast. Mondays through Fridays, the flight will depart TPA at 9:40 a.m. and arrive in San Diego at 11:55 a.m., then depart San Diego at 12:45 p.m., arriving at TPA at 8 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the flight will depart San Diego at 9:05 a.m. to arrive at TPA at 4:30 p.m., then depart TPA at 4:50 p.m. and arrive in San Diego at 7 p.m.

San Diego was one of three domestic targets presented to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board in November 2016 as part of TPA’s five-year Air Service Development strategy. In less than eight months, TPA has secured service to two of the three on that list - San Diego and Salt Lake City - with service to Salt Lake beginning Dec. 18. Portland is the remaining domestic target market.

“This really is keeping Tampa on the grid, so to speak,” Lopano said. “It’s really important for us to be connected to these West Coast destinations as we grow.”

Internationally, TPA is targeting Mexico City, Lima, Bogota, Amsterdam, Manchester and Dublin.

The San Diego announcement comes as the Airport is experiencing record passenger numbers, including the busiest March and April on record with nearly 3.8 million passengers passing through our gates. Book your West Coast getaway to San Diego today at Southwest.com.