May 13 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) on Tuesday

filed with U.S. regulators asking for a permit to fly more

international routes, including Europe, hinting at plans to

expand its limited global network.

The carrier's filing with the U.S. Department of Transport

seeks permission to transport "persons, property and mail" to

all countries with which the United States has an open skies

agreements. Those include countries across Europe, Latin America

and parts of Asia and Africa.

Southwest ( LUV ) currently flies within the U.S. and to some nearby

destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

It said in a statement the filing was "not necessarily

indicative of anything forthcoming" and that it was taking

advantage of the DOT's streamlined regulatory procedures for

international authority.

The filing comes at a time when Southwest ( LUV ) has been cutting

costs and looking to streamline its organizational structure.

Southwest ( LUV ) cut 15% of its corporate workforce in February, as

a part of its plan to reduce costs. This included 11 senior

leadership positions. The layoffs are estimated to save $210

million in 2025 and another $300 million in 2026.

The Texas-based company had said in March it would begin

charging customers for checked-in bags to lift earnings. It also

ended its open seating policy last year.

In April, Southwest ( LUV ) joined peers such as Alaska Air Group

and Delta Air Lines in withdrawing 2025 forecast

as the ongoing trade war caused heightened macroeconomic

uncertainty, denting Americans' ability to spend on

discretionary items such as travel.

Southwest ( LUV ) is more vulnerable to a slowdown as it largely

relies on price-sensitive leisure customers in the domestic

market.

Bloomberg News first reported on the filing earlier in the

day.