Southwest Moving Into New York Market

Southwest Airlines Inc. said it will begin serving MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., marking the latest move into the lucrative New York area for the nation’s biggest budget carrier. Flights are expected to begin early next year to MacArthur, which is on Long Island about 40 miles east of New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The Dallas-based airline is expected to create its own Washington-Boston shuttle linking Baltimore, MacArthur, Providence, R.I., and Manchester, N.H. It also is expected to fly from Islip to Chicago, Florida and the West Coast through Nashville or Kansas City, Mo. The move may translate into big savings for consumers. An unrestricted business ticket from New York to Boston or Washington costs about $200 each way, but Southwest is likely to charge about $70 each way. Southwest shares fell 13 cents to close at $22.75 on the NYSE.