Southwest's Emptiest Denver Routes
Southwest Airlines operates its largest flight schedule from Denver, but 11 routes from the airport had load factors below 72% over a recent 12-month
Southwest Airlines scheduled 7,614 flights from Denver International Airport (DEN) this August, making it the carrier's top base by flight count. Despite this overall strength, 11 routes from Denver had load factors below 72% in the 12 months to May 2026, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium.
Midland/Odessa Has The Lowest Load Factor
Southwest's emptiest Denver route was to Midland International Air and Space Port (MAF) in Texas. Over 248 flights, the airline filled just 60.1% of seats. This is well below Southwest's system-wide average load factor of 77.5% for the period. For the current year, Southwest has scheduled 282 flights on the Denver to Midland/Odessa corridor, primarily using the Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
Denver Airport CEO Phil Washington commented on the airport's partnership with Southwest in June. "Southwest has been an essential part of DEN’s upward journey, helping us serve travelers and foster connections across the Americas," Washington said. "We’re honored to help them celebrate their success and excited for what the future holds."
Rounding Out The Top Five
The second-emptiest route was to Santa Rosa, California (STS), with a load factor of 60.5%. Only eight flights operated on this corridor in the measured period, but 100 are scheduled from April to December this year, suggesting potential for improvement. Third was the route to Hayden, Colorado, with a load factor of 62.4% across 425 flights.
Fourth place went to Santa Barbara, California (SBA), with a load factor of 65.9%. Fifth was the intra-Colorado route to Montrose (MTJ), averaging 68.7% full over 434 flights scheduled for 2026. The aircraft usage for the Montrose route is broken down in our fixtures data.
| Route (Destination) | Load Factor | Rotations (12 months to May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Midland/Odessa (MAF) | 60.1% | 248 |
| Santa Rosa (STS) | 60.5% | 8 |
| Hayden (HDN) | 62.4% | 425 |
| Santa Barbara (SBA) | 65.9% | Not Specified |
| Montrose (MTJ) | 68.7% | 434 |
Other Low Loaders
Six more routes from Denver had load factors below 72%. El Paso and Anchorage both recorded 70% load factors, though El Paso had 774 flights compared to Anchorage's 17. Memphis followed at 70.8%. Louisville and Tulsa were next, each at 70.9%. Wichita, Kansas, rounded out the list of 11 routes with a load factor of 71.9%.
Southwest's Denver operation remains its largest, ahead of its 7,114 flights from Las Vegas (LAS) this August. The carrier's overall stats show it operates far busier routes elsewhere, with five system-wide routes even recording load factors below 30% during the same period. The detailed performance of these specific Denver routes can be tracked against broader standings.
