This is the seventh in a series of posts about our fourth annual integrated annual report, the 2012 Southwest Airlines One Report™, where we illustrate our triple bottom line approach that takes into account our Performance and productivity, the importance of our People and the Communities we serve, and our commitment to efficiency and the Planet.
Here at Southwest Airlines, we are dedicated to providing world-class Customer service while operating with a green filter in all areas of our operation. I have witnessed this firsthand throughout my 32 years with the Company, and I’ve seen the importance that our Employees place on conserving our resources and protecting our Planet. As the Senior Vice President Operations, I have the opportunity to oversee our Cargo, Ground Operations, Inflight, Provisioning, Flight Dispatch, the Operations Coordination Center, and Central Publications. I am proud that our Employees make conscious efforts to reduce waste, operate efficiently, and stay informed about recycling efforts. Here are a few of our 2012 points of pride:
Today, more than four decades after our founding, we remain steadfast in our Purpose of connecting people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost airline travel. We hope you’ve enjoyed our blog posts this year on our One Report and have followed along on Instagram and Pinterest each week to check out the photos and fun facts tagged #SWAOneReport. You can view and download the full report online at www.southwestonereport.com.
- Southwest has more than 1,500 cleaner-burning pieces of Ground Service Equipment (GSE) throughout our system, which cut back on our emissions.
- Over the past decade, we have invested more than $400 million in projects like winglets, engine upgrades, engine washes, use of ground power at airport gates, controlled ground idle speeds, and equipping our fleet with satellite based RNP to enable our aircraft to fly more efficient routes.
- In 2012, we updated our environmental policy to include our use of alternative fuels and renewable energy and the performance of external audits of environmental vendors.
By improving our fuel efficiency we saved 29 million gallons of fuel, which is equal to 4,500 round trips between MDW and LAS.
Our Employees have a history of Doing the Right Thing, which includes using resources responsibly and efficiently.
In 2012, we ranked #40 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Fortune 500 Green Power Partnership list.
Southwest Employees harvested enough produce from the Company Community Garden for 14 trips to local food banks.
In 2012, Southwest invested more than $400 million in projects to improve our fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
We have 1,500 pieces of cleaner-burning Ground Service Equipment that saved more than 60,000 gallons of fuel in 2012.