Daily roundtrip B-737-5H4 roundtrips commence on May 5 from Chicago (MDW) to Houston (HOU) and from Chicago (MDW) to Phoenix.
Shareholder Michael Schaefer sends his fellow stake owners a recommendation to be voted on at the annual board meeting that would have Chairman/CEO/President Kelleher choose between running the board or the day-to-day operations. Schaefer is concerned about the longevity of the leader, 67, who is a chain smoker, a frequent flyer, and is famous for his consumption of Wild Turkey liquor. Schaefer is unable to reach the May 20 board meeting because another airline cancels his flight; consequently, his proposal is not brought up for a vote.
Chairman Kelleher is interviewed in the June 1 issue of Money and explains “How Herb Keeps Southwest Hopping.”
B-737 service begins from Raleigh-Durham International Airport on June 6 with 12 daily return flights to 5 cities. Four daily nonstop roundtrips are offered to Baltimore (BWI), two to Chicago (MDW), four to Nashville, and one each to Tampa Bay and Orlando.
New daily nonstop roundtrips are started between Albuquerque and Tucson and from Kansas City to Tampa Bay. In addition, nonstop return service from Albuquerque to Kansas City is increased from two to three, Las Vegas to Seattle from one to two, Las Vegas to Tucson from two to three, San Diego to Tucson from two to three, and St. Louis to Tampa Bay from one to two.
En route from Kansas City to Oakland on June 14, Flight 99 must make an emergency landing at Las Vegas to turn Californian John Schleimer over to local police after he had become belligerent, punched a flight attendant, and been restrained by the attendant and several passengers.
Timed to coincide with the Paris Air Show, six more Next Generation B-737-7HRs are ordered on June 17, for delivery in 2000 and 2001. The world’s largest “Baby Boeing” operator, Southwest has requested 366 of the type since the airline was launched.
The official airline of the Chicago Cubs, a chartered company B-737-4H4 transports the team to Cleveland on June 30 for a weekend series with the Indians; upon its completion, the aircraft takes the team to Phoenix, Arizona, to battle the Diamondbacks. In this manner, the airline supports its Chicago team, just as it supports the others it has under sports contract.
Daily Albuquerque to Seattle nonstop roundtrips are launched on July 6, as is daily nonstop return service from Las Vegas to Chicago (MDW). In addition, nonstop return service from Albuquerque to Houston is increased from one to two, Austin and Las Vegas from one to two, Nashville to Cleveland from three to four, and Nashville and Las Vegas form two to three.
Also in early July, the company’s 6th flight attendant crew base is opened at Baltimore (BWI), where 300 attendants are now stationed. Flight attendant crew bases are also maintained at Dallas (DFW), Houston (HOU), Phoenix, Chicago (MDW), and Oakland.
The October beginning of service from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut is announced on July 13.
New daily nonstop roundtrips commence on August 5 from Baltimore (BWI) to Las Vegas, Los Angeles to New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans, Houston (HOU) to Providence, and from Kansas City to Indianapolis, Manchester, and San Diego. In addition, nonstop return service from Las Vegas to Reno is increased from eight to nine, Chicago (MDW) to Providence from two to three Los Angeles to Kansas City from four to five, and Los Angeles to Sacramento from seven to eight.
The arrival of several new Next Generation B-737-7H4s during early fall allows the initiation of new services. Employing the new planes, SWA on October 31 begins new nonstop daily roundtrips from Orlando to Chicago (MDW) and from Portland to Phoenix. Simultaneously, a second daily nonstop is initiated between Chicago (MDW) and Phoenix and from Phoenix to Seattle. On November 6, return flights are launched from Orlando to Phoenix and from Hartford to Las Vegas; the next day, new roundtrips begin from Phoenix to both Birmingham and Providence.
Daily Next Generation B-737-7H4 roundtrips are inaugurated on December 7 from Tampa to San Antonio and Chicago (MDW). Nonstop frequencies are increased in other markets: Tampa to Providence and Raleigh/Durham and Chicago (MDW) to Orlando from one to two, Chicago (MDW) to Raleigh/Durham from two to three, Phoenix to Sacramento from three to four, Nashville to Raleigh/Durham and Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonvile from five to six.
Passenger boardings climb 9.3% to 57.5 million, while cargo is up
I. 7% to 100.65 million FTKs.
Revenues jump 13.7% to $4.73 billion, while expenses rise an almost equal 13.6% to $3.94 billion. The operating profit ascends to $781.57 million, while net profit reaches $474.37 million.
Airline employment at the beginning of 2000 stands at 27,653, a 7% increase over the previous 12 months. Among the world’s top 25 airlines, SWA is 4th in passengers, 14th in employees, 8th in fleet size, 18th in operating revenue, 6th in operating profit, and 6th in net profit. It is also the 4th largest U. S. carrier.
The arrival of a new Next Generation B-737-7H4s over the Christmas period allows introduction of a new nonstop roundtrip on February 6 from Islip to Orlando, while simultaneously doubling from one to two the number of return flights between Islip and Tampa.
A measure of the company’s continued growth is demonstrated on March 3 when it is reported that 46 daily point-to-point nonstop flights have been added to the company’s schedule since October 31.
Inbound from Las Vegas on March 5, Flight 668, a B-737-3H4 with 5 crew and 135 passengers overshoots its landing at Burbank Airport and skids off the east-west runway, rams through a fence onto Hollywood Way, where it hits a car and stops just short of a Chevron gas station. A mother and her daughter in the auto and 15 aboard are subsequently hospitalized with minor injuries. Chairman Kelleher parries safety concern questions on that Sunday morning’s television interview programs.
Investigators will later report that the plane had come into Burbank at such a steep angle that its cockpit warning system had sounded; additionally, the plane had landed at 208 mph. instead of the normal 160. Injured with scalp cuts, the pilot will be discharged by the carrier on August 1, along with the copilot.
In an effort to reduce turnaround time, Southwest, also during the first week of March, begins a six-month evaluation of the FMT Sweden, A. B. dual-boarding bridge that is undergoing tests at Dallas (DAL) and Austin. The bridge allows passengers to simultaneously enter and exit through both the forward and rear exits of a B-737.
Delivery of additional new Next Generation B-737-7H4s permits the carrier, beginning on March 12, to enhance the number of nonstop return flights offered from Nashville to Islip and Hartford from 1 to 2, and to Phoenix from 2 to 3, from Chicago (MDW) to Tampa from 1 to 2 and Kansas City from 17 to 18, and from Ontario to Sacramento from 10 to
II. Additionally, new nonstop roundtrips are introduced from Ontario to Nashville and from Kansas City to Sacramento.
New daily return service is inaugurated on April 2 from Las Vegas to Columbus, Indianapolis, and New Orleans as well as from Austin to Raleigh/Durham and San Diego. Simultaneously, one more frequency is added from Houston (HOU) and Chicago (MDW) and from Las Vegas to Omaha.
Albany becomes a new hub on May 7 as the carrier initiates 10 new daily services from the New York State capital’s airport to Baltimore (7 departures), Orlando (2) and Las Vegas (1).
In an incident that will be turned into a legal test case, the carrier, also in May, demands that 300-lb.+ Cynthia Luther purchase two tickets before boarding a flight from Reno to Burbank. A friend purchases the second fare and the lady rides in one seat with the armrest down and with another person seated next to her. Off the plane, Ms. Luther files suit claiming illegal discrimination and harassment.
An hour into a ramp hold at Nashville on May 19, caused by a weather-induced airport power outage, Flight 1857, a B-737-5H4, suffers another unusual incident. A passenger leaves his seat and approaches a flight attendant at one of the aft entry doors, informing her that he needs air. Three times she directs him to return to his seat, but on the third occasion, he grabs her hair, opens the door that is slightly ajar, and jumps to the tarmac below. The flight attendant is able to free herself from the man’s grip and remain aboard, but the passenger fractures his wrist. Airport security police are quickly on the scene and transport the man to a local clinic. The jetliner departs later without further incident.
Despite the bad month, incident-wise, when DOT airline performance figures for May are released, Southwest will be shown to have the fewest number of complaints of any major U. S. airline, just 0.41 per 100,000 passengers; the industry average is 2.49.
About 150 mi. E of Kansas City on his June 27 service from Los Angeles (LAX) via Kansas City, the pilot of a Next Generation B-737-7H4 receives a message from the Kansas City station that three passengers had been left behind at the previous stop. The 3, children aged 8, 9, and 12, had gotten off to buy snacks and had not been missed when they failed to reboard. The Boeing turns around and retrieves the three sisters.
Boeing confirms on June 29 that SWA, which now operates 323 B-737s, has placed an order for up to 290 Next Generation B-737s over the next 12 years. The request includes 94 firm NG B-737-700s (in addition to 74 currently on order), as well as 25 options and up to 171 purchase rights for an additional 196 NG aircraft, with deliveries beginning in 2002. The largest order ever placed for Next Generation Boeings, the firm order, valued at $4.5 billion, is for more airplanes than SWA ordered during its entire first 16 years of existence. As they are delivered, older aircraft, beginning with the Dash-200s, will be retired.
Also in June, the carrier’s cargo division extends Next Flight Guaranteed service to Albany, Las Vegas, Orlando, Baltimore, and Raleigh/ Durham.
One each daily return passenger frequency is added on July 5 from Baltimore to Austin and Houston and from Indianapolis to Phoenix while two more roundtrips are started from Baltimore to Indianapolis.
Southwest is named 11th best-managed company among nonstate-owned national-sized airlines in the “2000 Index of Competitiveness” published by Aviation Week and Space Technology on July 10.
New daily roundtrips are inaugurated on August 6 from Islip to Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville, from Los Angles to Indianapolis, and from New Orleans to San Diego; four-times-a-day return service begins from Islip to Providence, Rhode Island. Also on August 6, daily return frequencies are increased between a number of cities, including Baltimore to Nashville from eight to nine, Las Vegas from one to two, Phoenix from three to four, and New Orleans to Orlando from five to six. Indianapolis, Tampa to Jacksonville, and Nashville to Islip are all increased from two to three.
While en route from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City on August 11, tragedy strikes Flight 1763, a B-737-3H4 with 5 crew and 121 passengers aboard. Witnesses will later report that teenager Jonathan Burton begins pacing the aisles as the clock nears midnight, shoves a flight attendant, and runs forward where he kicks a hole in the cockpit door, and then takes a seat in an exit row. Passengers, who fear he may try to open an emergency exit and cause the plane to crash, pull him into the aisle, where he dies. Initial press reports will suggest that the lad died of a heart attack after the plane has landed and he has been turned over to police.
The FBI and local authorities investigate and will later confirm that Burton has been the first passenger killed by fellow passengers aboard a U. S. commercial aircraft. When given the chance to prosecute at the end of September, a U. S. Attorney decides not to press charges. Timothy Roche and Peta Owens-Liston profile this case, one of the most bizarre episodes of in-flight violence in U. S. commercial aviation history, in their article “Homicide in the Sky,” which appears in the October 2, 2000, issue of Time magazine.
Coverage of the incident does not end there or with the newspapers. Late in the fall, the CBS television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (ironically, set in Las Vegas) runs a drama depicting a similar scenario. In both the real-life event and the thinly veiled teleplay, investigators suspect murder and even identify the probable perpetrators, but file no charges. As Blake Morrison will report in his lengthy December 18 front-page story in USA Today newspaper, “a fatal mystery shrouds Flight 1763.”
Southwest accepts its 10th theme aircraft on August 30, a new B-737-7H4 wearing the symbol of the Zia Pueblo Indians in a salute to the state of New Mexico.
In a four-year deal signed on September 5, the carrier becomes the official airline of the National Hockey League. Advertisements for the fall for the NHL and NFL will be heavily sports-oriented.
Daily Next Generation B-737-7H4 one-stop roundtrips are inaugurated on September 13 between Raleigh/Durham and San Jose via Kansas City. On September 18, the company reports that its Web site has generated over $1 billion in revenues during the first eight months of the year. This 111% revenue increase reflects the fact that some 30% of all SWA passenger revenues are now generated via the Internet.
A new Buffalo hub is launched on October 8 with 10 daily roundtrips to 4 destinations: Baltimore (7), Las Vegas (1), Orlando (1), and Phoenix (1). On October 20, it is announced that beginning on January 21, the carrier will inaugurate service from West Palm Beach to Baltimore, Nashville, Orlando, and Tampa.
Services are substantially increased on October 29, beginning with an increase of two daily return flights (for a total of six) from Las Vegas to Kansas City and the introduction of daily roundtrips from the Nevada city to both Louisville and Tulsa. The number of daily return flights is also boosted from Las Vegas to Reno to 10 and to Ontario, California, to 9; from Houston (HOU) to Birmingham to 3 and to Las Vegas to 4; from Baltimore to Orlando to 4 and to Lousville to 5; and from Fort Lu-aderdale to Jacksonville to 7 and to Orlando to 8.
It is reported on November 24 that the carrier’s on-time performance in September had slipped to fifth out of the ten major airlines reporting figures to the government. Pundits speculate that the special Triple Crown paint scheme on one of Southwest’s B-737-300s will now have to be removed.
The schedule is expanded again on December 10 with new daily roundtrips launched from Baltimore to Salt Lake City and to Albuquerque and from Las Vegas to Birmingham. In addition, daily return frequencies are also boosted by from 3 to 4 from Albuquerque to San Diego, from 1 to 2 from Nashville to Manchester, New Hampshire, and San Diego, from 4 to 5 from Baltimore to Raleigh/Durham, from 12 to 13 from Ontario to Oakland, and from 8 to 9 from Las Vegas to Oakland.
On December 14, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marilyn Hoffman rules that in legal terms the airline’s two-ticket obesity policy exercised on Cynthia Luther in May is not discriminatory.
The 1995 commitment to the American Society of Travel Agents to pay 10% commissions on all tickets expires on December 31. Per a December 13 announcement, SWA will begin 2001 on by cutting commissions to traditional travel agencies to 8% on all ticketless transactions and 5% on all paper ticket transactions.
At this point, Southwest is the fourth largest domestic U. S. carrier in terms of customers boarded and serves 58 cities (59 airports) in 29 states with over 2,700 flights every day.
As the 12 months conclude, it is noted that Southwest will end its loss-making San Francisco service on March 5, moving 8 daily flights to Oakland and another 2 to Sacramento. This will be the first city dropped from the company’s network in over two decades. On January 16, to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary, Southwest will debut a new “Canyon Blue” color scheme aboard two new B-737-7H4s, Spirit One and Spirit Two.
For the year as a whole, customer bookings jump 11.03% to 72,710,000, while cargo traffic rises 30% to 100.95 million FTKs. Revenues accelerate 19.3% to $4.73 billion, while expenses climb 17.1%, granting an operating profit up by 30.7% to $1.02 billion. Net gain soars 31.8 % to $625 million. With its new aircraft purchases and orderly expansion, Southwest is on track to become one of, if not the, largest U. S. airlines by 2010.
On March 19, 2001, it will be revealed that the “Kelleher Era” will end on June 19 when the legendary airline chief hands over two of his three titles to longtime company associates. Vice President-General Counsel James F. Parker will become CEO, while Vice President-Customers Colleen Barrett will become president/chief operating offi-cer—the first woman president of a U. S. major airline. With help from author Katrina Brooker, Kelleher will pen a Southwest memoir, “The Chairman of the Board Looks Back.” Fortune (May 28, 2001): 62-76.
SOUTHWEST AIRWAYS (1): United States (1933). The first of many air transport firms to bear this regional name, Southwest (1) is formed at Tulsa, Oklahoma, in January 1933. Employing a Travel Air 6000, the company inaugurates multistop, scheduled passenger flights to Salina in February. Operations suddenly stop in March.
SOUTHWEST AIRWAYS (2): United States (1941-1958). Although organized in 1941, this local service line does not receive its CAB certificate until May 22, 1946. During the prior two years, the company’s cargo division successfully tests various feeder-line tactics. Southwest launches Douglas DC-3 passenger service in the California corridor, Los Angeles to San Francisco, on December 2, 1947, employing the revolutionary tactics developed earlier. In an effort to attract customers and revenues, the company pioneers quick-stop, fast-turnaround passengerhandling methods at its smaller stations, even employing traveling agents to issue tickets in-flight. By the end of 1948, the fleet comprises nine Douglas transports, each displaying the company’s thunderbird logo.
Operations continue apace during the remainder of the decade and into the 1950s. Unhappily, there is one fatal crash. On April 7, 1951, a DC-3 with 22 aboard and en route from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara, crashes into a hill near the latter point; there are no survivors.
As new northern California routes are acquired from United Air Lines in the spring of 1953, Southwest upgrades its equipment. It also introduces the first two of four Martin 4-0-4s to be delivered on the year and purchased from Transocean Air Lines on April 26 over the route from San Francisco to Los Angeles via San Jose, Santa Clara, Carmel, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.
Martinliner service is extended during 1954 to Medford, Oregon. The Robert Ryan and Shirley Booth motion picture About Mrs. Leslie, released during the year, employs a company aircraft for its travel scenes.
At the beginning of 1955, Medford and the following California destinations are served, south to north: Los Angeles, Burbank, Palmdale/Lancaster, Invokern, Ventura/Oxnard, Lompoc/Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Monterey/Carmel, Santa Cruz/Watsonville, Santa Clara/San Jose, San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Yuba City, Uklah, Marysville, Fort Bragg/Mendocino, Chico, Red Bluff, Arcata/Eureka, Redding, Yreka, and Crescent City.
In late September, the airline becomes the first of the original local service feeders to obtain permanent CAB certification. A Martin 2-0-2 is damaged beyond repair in a hangar fire at San Francisco on December 30.
By 1956-1957, the fleet includes seven Martin 2-0-2s. In advance of additional CAB route awards to Oregon and Washington, the company is reorganized and changes its name to Pacific Air Lines on March 6, 1958.
SOUTHWEST AIRWAYS, LTD.: Canada (1990-1994). George Reid sets up Southwest at Windsor, Ontario, in 1990 to undertake scheduled third-level passenger flights to Pelee Island. Revenue services commence with three Fairchild-Swearingen Merlin IVs, two Piper PA-31310 Navajos, and a Piper PA-34 Seneca. The Seneca is withdrawn in 1991. A third Navajo is acquired in 1992 as services continue until 1994.
SOUTHWESTJETAVIATION, LTD.: 14988 N. 78th Way, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260, United States; Phone (602) 991-7076; Fax (602) 9918511; Year Founded 1989. John Castrogiovanni sets up SJA at Scottsdale Airport in 1989 to provide executive and small group passenger charters throughout the U. S. and to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. A decade later, the owner employs 4 pilots, who fly 1 each British Aerospace BAe (HS) 125-800 Hawker and Learjet 35A Century III.
SOUTHWESTERN AIRLINES, LTD. (SOUTH-WESTERN AVIATION CORPORATION): China (1934-1938). With capitalization of two million yuan from the Kwantung, Unnan, and Kwangsi civil governments and their military departments, plus Cantonese merchants, Southwestern Airlines is established at Canton in the early winter of 1934. The Chinese cabinet on January 25, 1935 grants the company an operating certificate.
Equipped with seven Stinson SR Reliants and three Loeing Air Yachts flown by Chinese pilots, the new company inaugurates services on May 1 linking its base with Lungchow via Wuchow and Nanning. During the summer, a service is initiated from Canton to the Hainan Island community of Hoihow (Kingchow) via Maoming. The new route is abandoned by year’s end.
In 1936, the company undertakes services from Canton to Pakhoi and in March it receives authority from the government to operate a route from Canton to Hanoi. This service is started on July 10 and is the first international route ever operated by a Chinese airline. The Indochina route is doubled, via the company’s coastal route, on April 4, 1937. Operations continue apace until October 21, 1938 when the Japanese occupy Canton.
World History
