southwest airlines

Southwest Airlines is an American low fare airline based in Dallas, Texas. It is the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically and the third largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried. Southwest Airlines is one of the world’s most profitable airlines.

Southwest Airlines is a publicly traded company on New York stock exchange – NYSE: LUV

In early 1971, Air Southwest changed its name to Southwest Airlines, and the first flight was on June 18, 1971. Its first flights were from Love Field in Dallas to Houston and San Antonio, short hops with no-frills service and a simple fare structure, features that became the basis for Southwest’s popularity and rapid growth in the coming years.

The start of service in June 1971 was accomplished with three 737-200 aircraft that had been obtained from Boeing on favorable terms, and a fourth aircraft was obtained in September of 1971.

Southwest Airlines News

Southwest Airlines currently flies to 63 destinations throughout the United States. However, when the airline adds new service to San Francisco, California in the fall of 2007, this number will increase to 64.

Current Southwest Airlines destinations include

Alabama

* Birmingham (Birmingham International Airport)

Arizona

* Phoenix (Sky Harbor International Airport) Focus City
* Tucson (Tucson International Airport)

Arkansas

* Little Rock (Little Rock National Airport)

California

* Burbank (Bob Hope Airport)
* Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) Focus City
* Oakland (Oakland International Airport) Focus City
* Ontario (Ontario International Airport)
* Orange County (John Wayne Airport)
* Sacramento (Sacramento International Airport)
* San Diego (San Diego International Airport) Focus City
* San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport) Future Service to start in late 2007
* San Jose (San Jose International Airport)

Colorado

* Denver (Denver International Airport)

Connecticut

* Hartford/Springfield (Bradley International Airport)

District of Columbia

See Maryland and Virginia for Washington, D.C. service

Florida

* Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport)
* Fort Myers (Southwest Florida International Airport)
* Jacksonville (Jacksonville International Airport)
* Orlando (Orlando International Airport) Focus City
* Palm Beach (Palm Beach International Airport)
* Tampa (Tampa International Airport)

Idaho

* Boise (Boise Airport)

Illinois

* Chicago (Chicago Midway International Airport) Focus City

Indiana

* Indianapolis (Indianapolis International Airport)

Kentucky

* Louisville (Louisville International Airport)

Louisiana

* New Orleans (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)

Maryland

* Baltimore (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport) Focus City

Massachusetts

See Rhode Island and New Hampshire for Boston service
See Connecticut for Springfield service

Michigan

* Detroit (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport)

Mississippi

* Jackson (Jackson International Airport)

Missouri

* Kansas City (Kansas City International Airport)
* St. Louis (Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport)

Nebraska

* Omaha (Eppley Airfield)

Nevada

* Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport) Focus City
* Reno (Reno-Tahoe International Airport)

New Hampshire

* Manchester (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport)

New Mexico

* Albuquerque (Albuquerque International Sunport)

New York

* Albany (Albany International Airport)
* Buffalo (Buffalo Niagara International Airport)
* Long Island/Islip (Long Island MacArthur Airport)

North Carolina

* Raleigh-Durham (Raleigh-Durham International Airport)

Ohio

* Cleveland (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport)
* Columbus (Port Columbus International Airport)

Oklahoma

* Oklahoma City (Will Rogers World Airport)
* Tulsa (Tulsa International Airport)

Oregon

* Portland (Portland International Airport)

Pennsylvania

* Philadelphia (Philadelphia International Airport)
* Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh International Airport)

Rhode Island

* Providence (T. F. Green Airport)

Tennessee

* Nashville (Nashville International Airport)

Texas

* Amarillo (Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport)
* Austin (Austin Bergstrom International Airport)
* Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi International Airport)
* Dallas (Dallas Love Field) Focus City
* El Paso (El Paso International Airport)
* Harlingen/South Padre Island (Valley International Airport)
* Houston (William P. Hobby Airport) Focus City
* Lubbock (Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport)
* Midland/Odessa (Midland International Airport)
* San Antonio (San Antonio International Airport)

Utah

* Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City International Airport)

Virginia

* Dulles (Washington Dulles International Airport)
* Norfolk (Norfolk International Airport)

Washington

* Seattle (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)
* Spokane (Spokane International Airport)

AirTran offers new routes to Mexico & Puerto Rico

May 25, 2012 By Budget Airline News

AirTran, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, has launched new international routes to Mexico and Puerto Rico.

On May 24, 2012, it began service from San Antonia, TX, to Mexico City and Cancun. Service from Austin, TX, to Cancun begins on May 25.

On June 3, 2012, AirTran will launch flights from Orange County, CA, to Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City.

In addition, on May 24 AirTran began its new service from Fort Lauderdale, FL, to San Juan, Puerto Rico with two flights per day.

Southwest Airlines now serving Atlanta

February 13, 2012 By Budget Airline News

Southwest Airlines officially began flights to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on February 12, 2012. The budget airline will offer 15 daily flights from Atlanta to domestic destinations like Austin, Chicago, Washington, Denver, and Houston.

Southwest will also be adding direct flights from Atlanta to Las Vegas and Phoenix starting March 10, to Los Angeles starting June 10, and Louisville, Norfolk/Virginia Beach and Seattle on August 12.

Southwest’s new services to/from Atlanta are one of the first stages of its take-over of AirTran Airways. Southwest will gradually take over all AirTran flights over the nest two years.

Southwest to take over 22 AirTran destinations, drop 15

January 22, 2012 By Budget Airline News

US low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has announced it will keep flying to 22 cities served by AirTran Airways but end flights to six other destinations. Southwest purchased competitor AirTran in 2011 and the two airlines are now being merged.

The newly terminated destinations are smaller cities and include Allentown and Harrisburg, PA, Lexington, KY, Sarasota, FL, Huntsville, AL, and White Plains, NY. Previously cut routes include Miami, FL, Knoxville, TN, Asheville, NC, Atlantic City, NJ. Bloomington and Moline, IL, Charleston, WV, and Newport News, VA.

In addition to the overlapping destinations, Southwest Airlines will take over AirTran flights to 22 cities plus destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

The 22 U.S. cities served by AirTran that will eventually switch to Southwest service: Flint and Grand Rapids, Mich.; Rochester, N.Y.; Pensacola and Key West, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; Dayton, Ohio; Richmond, Va.; Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Akron-Canton, Ohio; Wichita, Kan.; Des Moines, Iowa; Branson, Mo.; Portland, Maine.

Southwest Airlines first to fly new Boeing 737 Max aircraft

December 19, 2011 By Budget Airline News

Southwest Airlines is once again leading the industry by teaming up with its longtime partner to become the launch Customer of Boeing’s new 737 MAX aircraft. Southwest is the first Customer to place firm orders for the new, more fuel-efficient 737 MAX, and the Company also will become the first airline to accept delivery of the new aircraft in 2017. As the launch Customer of the 737 MAX, Southwest extends its legacy with Boeing as the 737 launch Customer for the -300, -500, and -700. The 737 MAX is the new-engine variant of the world’s best-selling airplane, building on the strengths of today’s Next-Generation 737 (737NG) technology, and is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines.

In its ongoing effort to improve fuel efficiency while extending its record of unparalleled Customer Service and profitability in the airline industry, Southwest has placed a firm order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, with the first delivery scheduled in 2017. The Company also expanded its current order book with Boeing for 58 additional 737NG aircraft. These new orders join an existing firm order book of 142, bringing Southwest’s total firm orders with the Boeing Company to 350 for 2012 through 2022, which are intended to predominately serve as replacement aircraft as the airline continues the modernization of its fleet.

“Today’s environment demands that we become more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, and as the launch Customer of the Boeing 737 MAX, we have accomplished both,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO. “We are teaming up with our friends from Boeing to lead the industry in a way that makes both our Shareholders and our Customers proud to associate with Southwest Airlines. Today’s announcement will allow us to maintain our position as a low-cost provider in the years ahead.”

“We are enthusiastic about our fleet modernization plans, and especially about becoming the launch Customer for the Boeing 737 MAX,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “The much improved fuel efficiency of the 737 MAX will enable us to improve our fuel costs, as well as our environmental performance, with great comfort and reliability to offer to our Customers.”

Van de Ven continued, “Overall, we expect the superior economics of our fleet modernization plan to meet our 15 percent pretax return requirement and provide substantial flexibility to manage our growth in a variety of economic conditions over the next decade. Additionally, these new aircraft will enhance the Customer Service offering with the new Sky Interior.”

The 737 MAX with LEAP-1B engines will reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by an additional 10-11 percent over today’s most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplane. It will have the lowest operating costs in the single-aisle segment with a seven percent advantage over its competition.

The 58 new 737NG firm orders include the exercise of 25 previously existing options. The Company has substituted -800s for all -700 737NG deliveries scheduled for 2012 and 2013 in addition to a portion of its 2014 deliveries. For the 737 MAX order, the Company has flexibility to accept MAX 7 or MAX 8 deliveries. The revised order book also includes 78 737NG options and 150 737 MAX options, bringing total option positions from 2014 through 2027 to 242. Additional information regarding the Company’s 737 future delivery schedule is included as an accompanying table.