Who was Southwest before?

The airline was established on March 9, 1967, by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Co. and adopted its current name, Southwest Airlines Co., in 1971, when it began operating as an intrastate airline wholly within the state of Texas, first flying between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.



People Also Ask

Before 1967, when it was incorporated, the company was known as Air Southwest. Rollin King, entrepreneur and cofounder of Southwest, served as the airline's first chairman, president, and chief executive officer, and he was for many years the company's largest shareholder.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest Airlines® originally was incorporated in Texas in 1967 and commenced Customer Service on June 18, 1971, with three Boeing 737 aircraft serving three Texas cities—Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio—and grew to become a major airline in 1989 when it exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest Is A Safe Airline
They are a favorite among travelers looking for cheap flights without having to compromise on comfort or security. According to the most recent list of the world's safest airlines, Southwest was ranked in the top 15 airlines in the world in 2021, even beating out Delta, American, and United.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest flies only Boeing instead of Airbus because when it was founded, to keep costs down, they decided to have not only one brand, but one model of airplane — the 737.

MORE DETAILS

Colleen C. Barrett (born September 14, 1944) is the President Emerita of Southwest Airlines, and an influential figure in the founding and development of the company. In 2001 she became the first woman to serve as president of a major airline.

MORE DETAILS

On Southwest, your first two checked bags are free. Not having to worry about added fees is a reason why flying Southwest can make a lot of sense. And look at the fare classes. The Big Three airlines might seduce you with ultra-low ticket prices, but there's a good chance those fares are for basic economy.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1.

MORE DETAILS

A massive winter storm caused the initial flight disruptions, but it was the company's internal software systems that seem to have turned a normal problem into an astonishing disaster. Many airlines use a hub and spoke system, routing flights through a few big airports to cut costs.

MORE DETAILS

Most major airlines canceled or delayed flights, but Southwest Airlines canceled at least 70% of its flights Monday -- more than 2,600 -- due to a reported system meltdown. The chaos continued Tuesday, with the airline canceling 62% of flights for the day and canceling 62% of flights on Wednesday.

MORE DETAILS

Background: DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced his agency's investigation into Southwest in January, focused on whether Southwest engaged in unrealistic scheduling that would be considered an unfair and deceptive practice under federal law.

MORE DETAILS