Southwest boosts BKG seating capacity

Southwest Airlines has released its Branson Airport schedule for the winter months of January and February, showing a marked increase in seating capacity compared to previous years under AirTran Airways.

The Dallas-based airline (NYSE: LUV) is scheduled to offer 42,042 seats Jan. 1-Feb. 12, 2014, an addition of 30,500 seats from the same period this year, when AirTran had 11,466 seats in the market, according to a news release.

Southwest purchased Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran Airways in May 2011 for $1 billion. The Dallas-based carrier began running flights out of Branson under its own name and utilizing its red-bellied planes in March this year. Southwest offers direct flights to Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Orlando.

In 2013, the combination of AirTran in January and February and Southwest March-December is slated to offer seating capacity at BKG of 331,930, a 21 percent rise from AirTran capacity of 274,014 in 2012. AirTran offered 165,906 seats in 2010, its first year operating at BKG, according to the release.

Southwest's release of its winter schedule comes on the heels of Denver-based Frontier Airlines announcing it would run additional flights out of BKG during Branson's peak travel season September-December. The fall flights represent nearly 40,000 seats, a 42 percent increase compared to the seating capacity to Denver International Airport the last four months of 2012, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

“The growth in seating capacity by our airlines is a very positive sign. Having Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines in Branson is bringing more tourism to the area and boosting economic development opportunities in the region," Branson Airport Executive Director Jeff Bourk said in the release.