Thursday, June 12, 2025
Japan’s Tokyo Narita, South Korea’s Seoul Incheon, and Mexico’s San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are spurring San Diego International Airport’s meteoric ascent as a world-class air transportation power, with nonstop transcontinental and international flights, intense airline competition, tremendous fleet expansion, and historic passenger increases transforming the airport’s worldwide reach and market leadership.
San Diego International Airport Rises as a Major Transcontinental Hub Fueled by Intense Airline Rivalry and Expanding Fleet Diversity
San Diego International Airport has solidified its role as one of Southern California’s most dynamic and competitive air travel hubs. Conveniently located just three miles from the city’s downtown core, the airport serves not only San Diego but also the greater metropolitan region, connecting passengers to destinations across the United States through a growing network of transcontinental routes. Based on recent data from aviation analytics sources, the airport’s top intercontinental routes are driven by a combination of frequency, fleet variety, and multiple airline competitors.
This detailed analysis focuses on San Diego’s seven busiest long-haul domestic routes scheduled for May, which collectively account for 437 total flights and more than 187 million available seat miles (ASMs). These routes are operated by six airlines using a wide mix of narrowbody aircraft.
United Airlines: San Diego to Newark
United Airlines ranks seventh on San Diego’s list of transcontinental services, with nonstop flights to Newark Liberty International Airport. In May, United is scheduled to operate 43 flights on this route, averaging approximately 9.7 flights weekly or 1.38 flights daily.
The airline utilizes its Boeing 737-900ER aircraft for these operations, each configured to accommodate 179 passengers, divided between first class, economy plus, and economy seating. Weekly, United offers approximately 1,738 seats between San Diego and Newark, with the route covering a distance of 2,425 miles and generating nearly 18.7 million available seat miles.
While United maintains regular operations from San Diego to several of its domestic hubs—including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles—its overall network from San Diego remains moderate compared to other carriers at the airport.
Alaska Airlines: San Diego to New York-JFK
Alaska Airlines continues to grow its footprint in San Diego and ranks as one of the airport’s major players. The nonstop route to New York JFK operates around 10.16 times weekly, averaging about 1.45 daily departures, utilizing the Boeing 737 MAX 9 for the service. Alaska currently operates 76 of these aircraft, with additional orders pending.
Configured to carry 178 passengers across three seating classes, Alaska’s service to JFK delivers approximately 1,809 seats weekly. The 2,446-mile route contributes nearly 19.6 million available seat miles to the airline’s San Diego operations.
Beyond New York, Alaska’s San Diego network includes year-round and seasonal flights to dozens of U.S. and international destinations such as Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Honolulu, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, and multiple locations in Mexico. Its broad destination map reflects Alaska’s commitment to serving San Diego as a major hub for the carrier.
Southwest Airlines: San Diego to Baltimore
Southwest Airlines remains the largest carrier at San Diego, commanding over 33 percent of the airport’s total market share. Among its many domestic routes, Southwest operates a popular transcontinental service to Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
The route is flown using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which accommodate 175 passengers in a single-class configuration. In May, Southwest operates an average of 12.19 weekly flights (approximately 1.74 flights daily), offering over 2,134 seats per week. The 2,295-mile flight generates more than 21.6 million available seat miles.
Southwest’s year-round network from San Diego extends across the country, with destinations including Austin, Chicago Midway, Dallas Love Field, Denver, Houston Hobby, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City, among many others. The carrier also operates seasonal flights to numerous leisure markets throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
American Airlines: San Diego to Philadelphia
American Airlines ranks fourth in San Diego’s transcontinental rankings, serving Philadelphia International Airport with nonstop flights operated by its Airbus A321-200 aircraft. In May, American is scheduled to operate 13.32 weekly flights, averaging approximately 1.9 flights per day.
With a distance of 2,369 miles, the Philadelphia route contributes over 26.5 million available seat miles to American’s San Diego operations. Weekly seat availability totals around 2,531. American’s overall San Diego network connects the city with key hubs in Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia, and Phoenix.
JetBlue Airways: San Diego to New York-JFK
JetBlue provides twice-daily nonstop service between San Diego and New York-JFK, operating 14 weekly flights on Airbus A321ceo aircraft. The aircraft offers 318 seats daily, or 2,226 seats weekly on the 2,446-mile route.
This service represents approximately 24.1 million available seat miles for JetBlue’s operations at San Diego. Although JetBlue faces competition from Alaska and Delta on the JFK route, its strong presence on this important corridor continues to attract demand.
JetBlue Airways: San Diego to Boston
Boston remains the second transcontinental destination served by JetBlue from San Diego. Operating 19.19 weekly flights (or approximately 2.74 flights daily) with its Airbus A321ceo, JetBlue offers more than 3,053 seats weekly on the 2,588-mile route.
The Boston route generates the highest available seat miles of any transcontinental flight from San Diego, contributing nearly 35 million ASMs. JetBlue competes directly with Alaska and Delta for passengers traveling between San Diego and Boston.
Delta Air Lines: San Diego to New York-JFK
Leading San Diego’s transcontinental routes is Delta’s direct connection to New York-JFK. In May, Delta operates 20.09 weekly flights (about 2.87 daily) using its Airbus A321neo aircraft in a higher-density 194-seat configuration.
Delta offers approximately 3,899 seats weekly on this route, with the 2,446-mile flight contributing over 42.2 million available seat miles. Passengers flying Delta out of San Diego can also access the Delta Sky Club lounge, located near the security checkpoint, which operates daily from early morning to late evening.
In addition to its JFK service, Delta operates several other routes from San Diego, including flights to Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Seattle, along with regional services connecting to Los Angeles and Las Vegas operated by Delta Connection.
Conclusion: A Growing Transcontinental Hub
Tokyo Narita in Japan, Seoul Incheon in South Korea, and Mexico’s San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are fueling San Diego International Airport’s rampant expansion through intense airline rivalry, increased nonstop routes, and a rapidly expanding worldwide network.
San Diego International Airport continues to grow as a significant player in the transcontinental market. Its strategic location, diverse airline competition, and increasing seat capacity reflect the city’s rising importance as both a business and leisure destination. With strong networks from major U.S. carriers, the airport is poised to further strengthen its position as one of the most competitive gateways on the West Coast.
