Forty years is what we could easily say forms a generation.
Twenty-five years could be called “a long time.”
I can remember that far back in my own life—I know, I’m dating myself—but there you have it. Forty years ago we launched service to Houston with only three 737 Boeing jets. Since then, we have continued a steady pace adding to the dynamic fabric of the City of Houston.
Twenty-five years ago, in April, we opened the Houston in-flight base going from zero in 1987 to over 1,000 Houston-based flight attendants today. Also 25 years ago, we opened our Houston based call center. Today, the Customer Support & Service Center, with more than 455 caring People, has expanded its role to offer the best Customers service handling your questions and concerns about any aspect of travel. When you call Southwest Airlines, you do not get a recording, you get a caring person, who wants to talk to you, without routing you through a maze of frustrating, recorded, auditory options that end up dropping your call.
We have continued to make good choices and become the most profitable airline in the industry. We have shared our success by creating good jobs. We want to continue doing that. We have shared our success with the Houston community. Our charitable donations, our community support, and civic engagement in Houston surpass investments of all other Southwest cities. We don’t just hand out blank checks willy nilly. Instead, we are proud to champion causes that matter most in the daily lives of Houstonians. Our people get involved creating a wonderful pool of time, talent and treasure that adds to the quality of life in Houston. Check out the Southwest Community Impact tab on www.freehobbyairport.com to see some of those meaningful community partnerships in the Houston area.
Well, as I think of all the great things we’ve done in 25 and 40 years, starting international service three years from now, doesn’t seem that long. We’d like to start flying to Mexico, the Caribbean and cities in Central and South America. To do that, we need to do some solid ground work. We have to start now. Because really, 3 years is no time at all!
We have many more exciting years to come! We want to add more jobs. We want to continue investing in the Houston community. Please consider visiting www.freehobbyairport.com to see how you can be part of this historical journey to prepare Hobby for international service. In another 40 years, who knows where we’ll end up! We’d love to have you with us looking back on the next generation.
