Southwest Airlines, China Airlines Plan To Create Interline Partnership In Early 2026

(RTTNews) - Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) and China Airlines Group, a Taiwan-based carrier, announced Monday that they are in discussions to create an interline partnership in early 2026, with published connections expected to go on sale later this year.

The companies jointly announced the deal, which would be the first trans-Pacific airline partnership for Southwest Airlines. The planned interline agreement will connect America's largest domestic carrier and China Airlines through shared gateways in California.

The announcement was made after the executives met at the International Air Transport Association or IATA 2025 Annual General Meeting in India.

Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines said, "This initial work to partner with Taiwan-based China Airlines would allow for seamless trans-Pacific journeys across the Southwest network, furthering the reach of our Vision and Purpose—to connect People with important moments in their lives. As the largest carrier of domestic Passengers in the United States, we also carry more people to, from, and within California than any other airline and expect Southwest Customers could benefit immediately from having access to connections overseas through China Airlines."

China Airlines noted that growing its long-haul network has been its long-term plan, and the firm expands its gateway operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, as well as Ontario, California.

Kevin Chen, President at China Airlines, added, "In the future, customers may book China Airlines and Southwest Airlines itineraries under one ticket and enjoy seamless travel experiences. We believe this complementary cooperation will enhance travel options for our customers and improve connectivity to Asia for travelers in the domestic U.S. market."

Earlier this year, Southwest launched a partnership with Icelandair, connecting customers traveling between the U.S. and Europe on dual-carrier itineraries through gateway airports Baltimore/Washington, Denver, and Nashville.

Beginning July 14, Icelandair and Southwest will add connecting service through Orlando, Pittsburgh, and Raleigh-Durham.