Knox Nonstop Request a nonstop
Nashville's skyline across the Cumberland River, with the twin-spired AT&T Building above the riverfront's historic brick buildings

Southwest at Knoxville · since March 5, 2026

Southwest at Knoxville: routes, and Vegas in 2027.

Southwest's first Knoxville flight landed on March 5, 2026. Today it flies 7 routes from TYS, from twice-daily Nashville to weekend Denver, and Las Vegas is on the way.

Photo: Pexels

Short answer

Southwest flies from Knoxville (TYS) to Nashville (twice daily), Baltimore, Dallas Love Field and Orlando (daily), plus weekend seasonal Denver, Tampa and Austin. Las Vegas is announced for March 2027. Service began March 5, 2026.

The newest airline

Southwest at TYS, by the numbers

7Southwest routes from TYS today.
5daily round trips at launch, March 5, 2026.
2xdaily to Nashville, Southwest's first TYS route.
8international destinations one Southwest stop away.

Countdown

Southwest to Las Vegas: March 2027.

Southwest announced Las Vegas to Knoxville in July 2026 for March 2027. The airline did not give an exact first-flight date in its announcement, so we count down to the start of March.

Until March 1, 2027
133days
0hours
0minutes

Allegiant already flies Knoxville to Las Vegas year-round, so this adds a second airline, not a new city.

Route board

Every Southwest route from TYS

Southwest from Knoxville8 routes
Weekends, seasonal

Austin AUS

Weekends, seasonal

Start: Sep 24, 2026 (trade report)

Also flown by Allegiant

Daily or more

Baltimore/Washington BWI

Daily

Start: Mar 5, 2026

Only Southwest flies it from TYS

Daily or more

Dallas (Love Field) DAL

Daily

Start: Mar 5, 2026

Only Southwest flies it from TYS

Weekends, seasonal

Denver DEN

Weekends, seasonal

Start: June 2026 (WVLT)

Also flown by United, Allegiant

Announced

Las Vegas LAS

Starts March 2027

Start: March 2027, announced

Also flown by Allegiant

Daily or more

Nashville BNA

2x daily

Start: Mar 5, 2026

Only Southwest flies it from TYS

Daily or more

Orlando (International) MCO

Daily

Start: Mar 5, 2026

Also flown by Allegiant

Weekends, seasonal

Tampa TPA

Weekends, seasonal

Start: June 2026 (WVLT)

Only Southwest flies it from TYS

Frequencies as stated by the airport and AirlineGeeks; "weekends" means Southwest's seasonal weekend-only pattern. Check southwest.com for your dates.

Map

The Southwest map

Southwest from Knoxville8 of 8 shown
SouthwestSeasonal or announced (dashed)
  • Austin AUS Southwest · seasonal
  • Baltimore/Washington BWI Southwest
  • Dallas (Love Field) DAL Southwest
  • Denver DEN Southwest · seasonal
  • Las Vegas LAS Southwest (announced)
  • Nashville BNA Southwest
  • Orlando (International) MCO Southwest
  • Tampa TPA Southwest · seasonal

Onward reach

One stop on Southwest

Nonstop destinations Southwest flies from each city it links to Knoxville, from the airports' published lists. These are the one-stop options a Southwest ticket from TYS can open up.

  1. Denver (DEN)93
  2. Nashville (BNA)84
  3. Dallas (DAL)78
  4. Baltimore/Washington (BWI)76
  5. Orlando (MCO)68
  6. Austin (AUS)60
  7. Tampa (TPA)42

International, one Southwest stop away

DestinationConnect at
Cancún CUNBNA, DEN, BWI, MCO, AUS
Punta Cana PUJBNA, BWI, MCO
San Juan SJUBNA, BWI, MCO, AUS*, TPA
Montego Bay MBJBNA, BWI, MCO
San José, Costa Rica SJOBNA, DEN*, BWI*, MCO
Liberia, Costa Rica LIRDEN*, BWI*
Aruba AUABWI, MCO
Nassau NASBWI*, MCO

* seasonal from that city. Denver, Austin and Tampa are themselves seasonal from TYS. Counted October 19, 2026 from each airport's Wikipedia destination list; check southwest.com for schedules.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

The Smokies, on Southwest

"Closest airport to Gatlinburg on Southwest" is a common search. Southwest now flies to Knoxville, and Southwest also serves Nashville and Atlanta. Drive to Gatlinburg from each:

  1. TYS (Knoxville)1h 14m
  2. BNA (Nashville)4h 08m
  3. ATL (Atlanta)4h 54m

OSRM drive estimates without traffic.

Nashville's skyline across the Cumberland River, with the twin-spired AT&T Building above the riverfront's historic brick buildings
2x dailyNashvilleThe first Southwest flight at TYS.
Baltimore's Inner Harbor at night, with the National Aquarium and downtown towers reflected in the water
DailyBaltimoreSince March 5, 2026.
Lake Eola fountain and the downtown Orlando skyline reflected in the lake at sunset
DailyOrlandoShared with Allegiant.
The Las Vegas Strip at dusk with the Bellagio fountains, Caesars Palace and the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower
March 2027Las VegasAnnounced.

Request a nonstop

Where should Knoxville fly next?

Name the city. Every request is counted and the leaderboard goes to the airport's air-service team, the people who pitch new routes to airlines.

… requests from TYS so far

  1. Loading the leaderboard…
Mostly for
Round trips a year you'd fly it

Your email is optional and never shown. City counts are public.

Related

Questions

Does Southwest fly to Knoxville?
Yes. Southwest started at McGhee Tyson (TYS) on March 5, 2026, with twice-daily Nashville and daily Baltimore, Dallas Love Field and Orlando.
Where does Southwest fly from Knoxville?
Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Dallas (Love Field), Denver, Nashville, Orlando (International), Tampa. Denver, Tampa and Austin are weekend seasonal routes. Las Vegas is announced for March 2027.
When does Southwest start Knoxville to Las Vegas?
Southwest announced it in July 2026 for March 2027 and did not give an exact start date in the announcement. Allegiant already flies Knoxville to Las Vegas.
Does Southwest fly from Knoxville to Denver?
Yes, on weekends in season. United and Allegiant also fly Knoxville to Denver.
What is the closest Southwest airport to Gatlinburg?
Knoxville (TYS). OSRM puts the drive to Gatlinburg at about 1h 14m (45 miles), against about 4h 08m from Nashville.
Can I connect on Southwest through Knoxville?
Southwest sells connections through its other cities. From TYS the obvious connecting points are Nashville, Baltimore, Dallas Love, Orlando and, in season, Denver, Austin and Tampa.

Sources

  1. McGhee Tyson Airport: Southwest Airlines starting service to TYS March 2026 (Aug 14, 2025)
  2. AirlineGeeks: Southwest starts service at new airport (Mar 10, 2026)
  3. WSMV: Southwest flights between Knoxville and Nashville begin this week (Mar 3, 2026)
  4. WVLT: Southwest Airlines adding new seasonal flight from Knoxville (Feb 14, 2026)
  5. Bolt Flight: Southwest to launch 23 new nonstop routes through early 2027 (Jul 1, 2026)
  6. The Points Guy: Southwest March 2027 expansion (Jul 17, 2026)
  7. AirlineGeeks: Southwest adds 19 new routes for spring 2027 (Jul 16, 2026)
  8. McGhee Tyson Airport: nonstop flights (airport page, 35 cities)
  9. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (drive times, no traffic)
  10. Wikipedia: Nashville International Airport, airlines and destinations
  11. Wikipedia: Denver International Airport, airlines and destinations
  12. Wikipedia: Dallas Love Field, airlines and destinations
  13. Wikipedia: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, airlines and destinations
  14. Wikipedia: Orlando International Airport, airlines and destinations
  15. Wikipedia: Austin Bergstrom International Airport, airlines and destinations
  16. Wikipedia: Tampa International Airport, airlines and destinations
  17. Wikipedia: Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, airlines and destinations