OREANDA-NEWS. April 01, 2014. Southwest Airlines announced that it will launch daily nonstop service between Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) this summer.
 
"Southwest Airlines is a valued partner to the City of Chicago and we are proud that Midway International Airport continues its growth as a national air transportation link," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "Southwest's new route to our nation's capital provides more choices and more convenience for travelers, while advancing Chicago's global connectivity and furthering our goal to host 55 million visitors by 2020."
 
The new service, made possible by a recent divestiture of take-off and landing slots, begins August 10, 2014 with six daily roundtrips between MDW and DCA. Beginning September 30, 2014, Southwest will increase service on the route with three additional flights for a total of nine daily roundtrips.
 
The nonstop flights will bring more than 2,500 seats daily between MDW and DCA.
 
"This is fantastic news for Chicago and our airports. Midway continues to be one of the fastest growing airports in the nation thanks to the commitment of Southwest Airlines," said Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). "Southwest's new service to Washington, D.C. adds healthy competition to the Chicago market and further expands the robust array of destinations offered at Midway."