Southwest Airlines announced the establishment of a new direct route between Las Vegas and Rochester. It is the first direct flight between the two cities since 2008. Flights to Rochester from Las Vegas started on Thursday, October 3rd.

Connecting the East and West

The direct route from Harry Reid International Airport
(LAS) to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) will be available to passengers four times a week: Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday. According to Rochester First, Southwest will use its 175-seat capacity Boeing 737 MAX 8 for the five-hour flight, which adds more than 500 seats per week along the route.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 landing in rain at SEA shutterstock_2131011197

Photo: Ian Dewar Photography | Shutterstock

Early demand for the route is strong, with all four of the week’s first flights fully booked. According to Spectrum News, Monroe Country Executive Adam Bello, this is no surprise since Rochester was the largest unserved domestic market for Las Vegas and vice versa. He added:

“The Entertainment Capital of the World, America’s Playground — however you refer to it, we are pleased to welcome nonstop service to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines. Whether you enjoy fine dining and shopping or gaming, live shows and entertainment, these nonstop flights will provide greater convenience to Las Vegas and all that it has to offer.”

Southwest is set to expand the service from four to six days a week in the future if demand remains strong.

About Southwest

Southwest Airlines is the largest airline operating out of Harry Reid International Airport, with roughly 260 daily flights to more than 60 destinations across the US and Internationally. The airline also operates nonstop flights to Baltimore, Orlando, and Tampa from ROC.

The new route is expected to improve connectivity to popular West Coast destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle. The airline has been revamping its route list over the past few months, focusing mainly on leisure travel and removing routes that haven’t proven profitable.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX Front Profile Closeup

Photo: Carlos E. Santa Maria | Shutterstock

Southwest flies to a total of 121 in the US and across ten other countries and is continuing to expand. It is currently the world’s third-largest airline based on the number of passengers flown.

The airline operates a fleet of 818 Boeing 737 aircraft across various generations. It has orders for another 473 aircraft, 307 Boeing 737 MAX 7s and 166 MAX 8s.

About ROC

Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport is the main airport serving the City of Rochester. The airport covers an area of 1,136 acres and has three runways: a primary runway (04/22), a general aviation runway (07/25), and a crosswinds runway (10/28).

The airport offers flights to more than 20 destinations. It is served by the following airlines:

  • Allegiant Air (seasonal basis)
  • American Airlines
  • Avelo Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • JetBlue
  • Southwest
  • Spirit Airlines
  • United Airlines

The airport has one main terminal, two adjacent concourses, and 22 gates in total. Concourse A is named after Fredrick Douglas, and Concourse B is named after Susan B. Anthony. The former is home to JetBlue, Spirit, American, Avelo, and Southwest, while the latter hosts United, Delta, and Allegiant.

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