Southwest Airlines commits to AWS cloud migration by 2028

Southwest Airlines commits to full AWS cloud migration

Southwest Airlines has selected Amazon Web Services as its preferred cloud provider and set a 2028 target for completing a comprehensive migration from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-based, AI-enabled architecture.

The partnership, announced Tuesday, will underpin operations spanning more than 70,000 employees across 120 airports in 12 countries. The airline carried more than 134 million customers in 2025 and operates the largest nonstop domestic network in the United States.

Why it matters

This represents one of the largest cloud transformations in the airline industry, affecting not just internal systems but customer-facing platforms used by millions of travelers. The shift to AI-assisted development and agentic workflows signals how legacy carriers are retooling technology stacks to compete on speed and operational efficiency — areas where Southwest has faced pressure in recent years following high-profile service disruptions.

Developer tools at the center of modernization

A core element of the partnership involves deploying Kiro, AWS's agentic coding service, to modernize Southwest.com. More than 2,700 developers are now using the tool to build features, automate testing, and generate cloud infrastructure. According to the airline, tasks that previously required hours can now be completed in minutes.

Southwest is also implementing what it calls the AI-Driven Development Lifecycle (AIDLC), a framework in which engineers oversee and validate work produced by AI agents rather than handling all coding tasks manually. The airline plans to extend agent-based capabilities across operations, including through a tool called Amazon Quick.

"From customer experience, to operations, to how we build the systems behind it—all of it is coming together in a way that helps our teams move faster, make better decisions, and deliver for our customers," said Lauren Woods, executive vice president and chief information officer at Southwest Airlines.

Part of broader transformation

The AWS deal arrives amid a wider strategic overhaul at Southwest. The carrier recently ended its decades-old open seating policy, restructured its boarding process, and introduced assigned seating across four fare bundles. It also announced plans to deploy Starlink Wi-Fi on at least 300 aircraft by the end of 2026.

Southwest reported a first-quarter profit of $227 million and record Q1 operating revenue of $7.25 billion.

"By deploying AI agents across customer experience, operations, and software development, they're accelerating innovation for 134 million travelers," said Swami Sivasubramanian, vice president of agentic AI at AWS.

The partnership details were first reported by Quartz.