Southwest Airlines to cut 196 flights

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Southwest Airlines, the most profitable U.S. airliner, announced Wednesday it would drop more than 196 daily flights on Jan. 11.

The nation's top discount airline that grew in double-digit figures for years, also said it would add six new flights.

That brings the net decrease in service to 190 flights out of its current total of just more than 3,400 daily trips, almost a 6 percent cut in departures, USA Today reported.

The stated reason is a common problem: soaring fuel prices.

The biggest flight reductions will come at five of Southwest's most heavily served airports, including Chicago Midway, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Baltimore/Washington and Nashville, the report said.

In all, 48 of the 64 U.S. airports served by Southwest will see flight cuts.