Delta, Southwest & Spirit Airlines will launch new flights to Memphis this spring

Three airlines will add flights to Tennessee's Memphis International Airport (MEM) this spring. Spirit Airlines will add two flights to Florida, while Delta Air Lines will add a link to Austin. Southwest Airlines will also begin an intra-Tennessee route to Nashville.

Southwest sees potential

One of the airport's most-requested direct flights is arriving on April 8th, 2025, as Southwest Airlines launches its first including intra-Tennessee service. The carrier opened a crew base in Nashville Airport (BNA) last year and will operate its largest-ever schedule from Nashville this spring.

The route opens new opportunities for residents, business travelers, and elected officials to fly between the largest city in Tennessee and the State Capital. The new flights will be the only nonstop link between the two cities and will operate daily at the following schedule:

With the addition of Nashville, Southwest now serves ten destinations from Memphis, including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, and Tampa.

According to Michael Keeney, Chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners, the new route will boost convenience for area residents.

“This is a very exciting development for Southwest to connect Memphis to Nashville.”

“We know that this will provide travelers with a quick and efficient alternative to driving. We look forward to Southwest’s continued growth at MEM.”

The link also opens up new opportunities for travelers from Western Tennessee and the surrounding areas to fly to Europe with a minimal detour, thanks to the new Icelandair service coming to Music City.

Nashville was recently confirmed as a connection hub for Southwest's first airline partnership, enabling passengers to book flights to Iceland and beyond on a single booking.​​​​​​​

Spirit says yes

Simple Flying previously revealed that Spirit Airlines is beginning flights from Memphis to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) for Spring Break this year. The route is one of two dozen the low-cost carrier is adding this spring to meet increased demand for leisure travel.

The link between Memphis and New Orleans is set to arrive just in time for the Mardi Gras travel period. The nonstop link will operate daily from February 20th to March 9th on Spirit's Airbus A320 aircraft. The plane seats 182 passengers and will operate at the following schedule:

The new link will provide a welcome alternative to the drive, which can take upwards of five hours during the busy season, with Michael Keeney, Chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners, noting:

Spirit Airlines also announced that it will offer nonstop service between Memphis and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) starting March 5th, 2025. The flight is scheduled to be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft four times weekly on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday at the following times.

According to John Kirby, Vice President of Network Planning at Spirit Airlines, the new links have been in high demand:

“We know Memphis travelers want convenient and affordable flights to popular leisure destinations, and our new seasonal service makes it easier to visit the Big Easy for Mardi Gras this spring.

“Fort Lauderdale is a great spring getaway with many beaches, golf courses, and activities for travelers to enjoy with family and friends.”

The new nonstop flights will complement Spirit's existing links from Memphis to Orlando (MCO) and Las Vegas (LAS).

Delta doubles down

Delta Air Lines will launch daily nonstop service between Memphis and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) starting May 7th, 2025. Delta Connection carrier SkyWest will operate the service daily with an Embraer 175 aircraft, seating 76 passengers.

The connection replaces a previous American Airlines service and will run at the following schedule:

According to Keeney, residents have been asking for the service to return and are excited for nonstop flights to resume:

“We appreciate Delta expanding its service here at MEM and know that passengers will be excited to have nonstop connectivity to Austin.”

The Austin flight brings Delta’s number of destinations from Memphis to eight, including Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York (LGA), and Salt Lake City.

Visitors to the Tennessee airport can expect significant improvements over the coming years as Memphis redevelops its Terminal into a modern space that accommodates current travel trends. The airport handled a record 4.9 million passengers last year, an increase of nearly 81,000 passengers compared to 2023.

When asked where area residents were looking to travel that could benefit from a direct flight, Thomas highlighted Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) as a top unserved market, along with links to cities like San Diego (SAN) on the West Coast.