SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND CONTINENTAL AIRLINES ENTER INTO SLOT LEASE AT NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR)

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND CONTINENTAL AIRLINES ENTER INTO SLOT LEASE AT NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR)

DALLAS—Aug. 27, 2010—Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines confirmed today that they entered into a lease providing Southwest Airlines access to 36 Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) slots which are currently held by Continental.

 The lease deal, contingent upon the closing of the Continental and United airlines’ merger by Nov. 30, 2010, and certain governmental approvals, would give Southwest Airlines the right to operate up to 18 daily roundtrip flights at Newark, New Jersey, with some flights beginning in March 2011 and a full schedule in place by June 2011. The slots are spread throughout the day and would allow Southwest the ability to integrate Newark service conveniently into its extensive national route network.

 “We are excited by the opportunity to initiate service from Newark, New Jersey, and we plan to enable that service starting next March through continued flight schedule optimization using our existing fleet,” said Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President of Strategy and Planning. “We’ve seen tremendous demand for Southwest Airlines in the New York City/Newark area in the past year.  Customers are clamoring for our unique brand of hospitality, great value, low fares, extensive flight network, and our terrific Employees who deliver outstanding Customer Service. Adding Newark provides an excellent complement to our LaGuardia and Long Island service, giving Customers one more option for travel to and from the greater New York City/New Jersey area. This service also will provide a needed injection of low fares and competition into the New York/Newark market.”

 Southwest is working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Continental and United Airlines to finalize arrangements for commencing its Newark service in March 2011, including the approval of the acquisition of the necessary airport gates and facilities.  Details on what cities Southwest will serve from Newark and on what dates that service will begin have not yet been determined.

 “The divestiture of slots at Newark by the combined Continental/United will ensure competition is enhanced, and we appreciate the Department of Justice’s role in finding a fair solution,” Jordan said.

 After 39 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and currently serves 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report™.  Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.  When shopping for Southwest online, it's important to know that Southwest Airlines’ low fares are only available at http://www.southwest.com/?src=PREMNASEWRANNOUNC100827.

This news release contains forward-looking statements related to Southwest’s lease of slots at Newark Liberty International Airport and its related plans and expectations. These statements are based on Southwest’s current intent, beliefs, and expectations and are not guarantees of future results. These statements also involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the timely closing of the Continental and United airlines’ merger, (ii) receipt of necessary governmental approvals and the timing thereof, (iii) approval of the acquisition of the necessary airport gates and facilities and the timing thereof, and (iv) changes in consumer demand and preferences related to the Company’s service and changes in the Company’s overall business plan and strategies.###

[Anonymous2297]

THIS IS GREAT NEWS. I HOPE BUFFALO, N.Y. WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. WE NEED A LARGER PLANE FLYING TO NEWARK. NO PROPS.

[Anonymous379]

Great, that's all we (biz travelers) need. More cheap crap to major gateways to squeeze out the real airlines. Way to go Ghetto Air...... Why can't you cheapo people stay on the Greyhound bus where you belong.

[Elle2]

Love this and my boyfriend in chicago will too............great news!!!

[Phyl]

Can't wait!! Our family will finally get to make the trip more than once every two or three years!! SWA, you are hands down the airline America loves to love!!!!

[Leo_R]

FINALLY!! Southwest is coming closer to home and will set the pace with their great prices and awesome customer service WAY TO GO SOUTHWEST!!!

[TC]

Sarasota Florida is begging your to come fly there. This is a beautiful small airport that has been ignored by the major airlines. Continental cancelled its only flight to and from Newark airport. The snowbirds will lavish you with sunny smiles and cheer.

[Tracy9]

I'll stop flying Delta if you go to: Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Sarasota Beautiful bright friendly newly renovated airport..a perfect match.

[Carol_Von_Arx]

How about Grand Junction, Colorado? Could we get a flight from Austin, TX to Grand Junction, Co

[Anonymous2335]

I heard from a mechanic that hawaii is going to be a destination eventally also, once the planes are purchased and the pilots are upgraded in training, hopefully soon??

[Bob_McGrath]

I am an A list member of Southwest and LUV your airline. I usually drive about 2 hours to Birmingham from northeast, Mississippi to avoid the hassle and delays of flying Delta out of our regional airport with a connecting flight out of Atlanta to my final destination. I am very excited to hear about Southwest now flying to Newark as I conduct quite a bit of business in that area. I am asking Southwest to seriously consider a direct flight out of Birmingham to Philadelphia and/or a direct flight from Birmingham to Newark. Right now, the stops and layovers are not that attractive to Philly and back. You go direct to Baltimore, but that's still a lot of driving after reaching Baltimore. There is more and more industry coming into northeast MS and the B'ham area involving companies from the Philadelphia / south Jersey area. Please add a non stop, direct flight. Thanks!

[Rev__DLA]

PRAIZ THE LORD! I am one of SWA's biggest fans, particularly because of the FREEDOM you afford me in creating, changing and augmenting my own travel plans. As wonderful as SWA Customer Service Agents are, I feel tremendously empowered to be able to go onto Southwest.com/My SouthWest.com and have the same access to my itinerary as your agents do. THANK YOU SouthWest for daring to be different, avant-garde and entrepreneurial. As a frequent transcontinental traveler, you make it incredibly easy to facilitate my travel plans home to Los Angeles. I love your potential plans to fly into Newark and to better service the "Garden State" of NJ, but I am PARTICULARLY EXCITED about the potential merger between AirTrans and SWA. Service into Atlanta or anywhere into the "Peach State" of Georgia would simply be PHENOMENAL!!! Keep up the GREAT WORK you do and know that you've got one of your biggest fans lifting up prayers on your behalf. Sincerely, Pastor Darrell L. Armstrong Shiloh Baptist Church (Trenton, NJ)

[Anonymous3597]

Now withe the aqusition of airtran I hope SWA will Keep the Orlando /SanJuan puerto Routes and SWA sould come into Melbourne florida its ununderserved florida airport that would save Brevard county residants over 1hr driving to orlando Intl airport Hope we can get Melbourne (MLB) to Newark (EWR)

[Anonymous2443]

Yay for the merger with Air Tran...now please add a direct flight from Wichita to Milwaukee where my family is!!!! Oh how life would be simplified and allow for a lot more travel back home! Kristy

[Anonymous2443]

Yay for the merger with Air Tran...now please add a direct flight from Wichita to Milwaukee where my family is!!!! Oh how life would be simplified and allow for a lot more travel back home! Kristy

[Peggy]

Do you have any plans to provide service from San Diego to Memphis? .We now must fly from Nashville to San Diego. My family lives closer to Memphis.Thanks!

[Anonymous1118]

Southwest, I just wanted to let you know that I love your services each time I go to Phila to visit some family. I have a huge question though. Is there any possible way that you can connent to Richmond, Va and Charleston, Sc? Thats were most of our family is. My mother, brother and I try to go there at least 4 times through out the year, but it has been adding up with Delta. They are expensive and their services has been awful the past few times we went. Can you help us?

[Anonymous1747]

Where will the 18 flights per day go to from Newark? Southwest likes to offer a number of convenient flights throughout the day to select destinations, so I'd imagine they would only serve 3 or perhaps 4 locations non-stop. From LaGuardia it's only to Baltimore and Chicago. AirTran adds Milwaukee, Akron, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Newport News, and Orlando to the LaGuardia mix. From Newark, however, there is no AirTran presence. Here's my guess for Newark as they provide many Southwest/AirTran connections and are popular destinations in their own right: Chicago, Atlanta, and Orlando up to 6 daily flights each...if there's a fourth destination I'd guess Baltimore (primarily for shorter Southwest connections on the east coast). Longer shots for a fourth destination might be Denver (partially to keep United on their toes and longer connections to the southwest and west) or St. Louis (to keep American on their toes and also longer connections).

[Danny11]

help me out of hartford to atlanta,im sick of driving and WILLNOT pay deltas rediculous prices,they are pigs.luv u southwest u all really no how to run a buissness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous4014]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ADD SERVICE OUT OF KNOXVILLE TO Dallas, TX...I fly there frequently to visit family, and AA is the only nonstop service to Dallas. I would MUCH prefer to fly into Love Field rather than DFW, too. AA has no competition and the prices are bad. After a terrible experience on a business class AA flight back from South America, I prefer in the future to fly Delta through Atlanta to Dallas or just drive 1700 miles roundtrip rather than take another AA flight! We need competitive airfares into and out of Knoxville!!!

[The_Manning_Fam]

SO excited to hear this as our family is in NJ and we are in Columbus, OH. We REALLY REALLY miss the NonStop Philly-Columbus flight. Wish we could have it back it was such a popular flight. It sure made the 8.5 hr drive seem like eternity when we could be there in 2hrs flying. Newwark will be great though, looking forward to it. Thanks!

[Jason29]

Is anyone involved in decision making at Southwest reading this? What I would like to find out is when Southwest would be hiring people in Newark. I used to work for U.S. Airways in Seattle as a ground service agent, but had to give up the job when I moved to New York. I would very much love to be able to get back into the airline industry, particularly since I am with my fiancee. I had always heard great things about working for Southwest, even from the employees at Seattle. I would be willing to take any position at all if it meant I could work for Southwest. I have been trying to get back into airline work for over two years now. I owe my happiness with my fiancee to the airlines. It never would have been possible otherwise.

[Michele]

Glad to hear! I hope all proceeds as planned! Would be great to have a Boston area (MHT, BOS, or PVD) to Newark! Currently this is just too expensive to justify. Fingers crossed! Go Southwest! Keep up the great work!

[Anonymous4079]

Go SOUTHWEST !!!!!...PLEASE have direct flights from EWR to SRQ.....will this happen in March 2011 ?...i sure hope so....family in Sarasota Fl....and would love fly non stop..... Pema

[Matt4]

Congrats SWA for "potentially" obtaining gates at Newark (EWR)! I am a faithful customer in Sacramento (SMF), and fly SWA whenever possible. I will be making a trip out to New Jersey next year so Newark would be very convenient for me. Congratulations also on the pending merger with AirTrans! I hope that the aquistion will enable SWA to consider other destinations to add to SWA's expanded network. I am thinking particularily of Alaska. I was born and raised there and most of my family still lives up there. I fly frequently into Anchorage (ANC) on other airlines out of necessity. The problem is and has always been that travel to and from the 49th state is quite expensive because of the fact that so few major airlines serve the state which stiffles any real competition. I can often fly from San Francisco to Europe for less than I can to Alaska! While Alaska Airlines is currently and historically has been the major player in that market, over the years there have been a few other airlines which have made small inroads into the market, however their impact always seems to be dwarfed by Alaska Airlines' presence. What that mrket needs is a player like SWA, which has the spirit to fight the major carriers (just ask American AIrlines!), and the committment to make travel affordable for the average traveler. I promise you that if SWA starts flying to Alaska and offering bargain fares, hordes of folks who have been at the mercy of Alaska Airlines forever will eagerly "abandon ship" and flock to SWA! I know this, because there are multitudes up there who are sick and tired of being gouged by Alaska Airlines and the few other available carrier choices, not to mention the resentment that many Alaskans hold toward Alaska Airlines because they feel that the airline has co opted the State's name and deceptively benefits from the allure of "The Last Frontier" by their use of Alaskana in their aircraft livery and marketing materials, all the while being a Seattle, Washington based company. They should more appropriately be named something like "Rainier Airlines", "Red Apple Air", or "Space Needle Airlines", etc.! My point is that every time I travel up there I hear from fellow passengers, my family, friends and anyone who I talk to about traveling up there just how much they wish that SWA would serve Alaska, and give Alaska Airlines a run for their money! Just my suggestion. I don't know if any of your corporate people ever read these blogs, but if they do, I hope they will take my request seriously. :-) Your happy customer, Matt

[TravisG]

Yay! Newark at long last! Please oh please include non-stop Phoenix to Newark service. Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix

[Marilyn1]

I am hoping that Soithwest will consider adding Puerto Rico to their itinerary. From BWI or even better from Harrisburg.

[Marcel]

I am hoping that Baltimore will be on the list of cities when Southwest flies out of Newark, New Jersey. The Newark/New York City is like my second home.

[Anonymous4066]

Newark to DETROIT would be awesome! Just one flight will help. Please consider adding this route to your mix! Instead of 6 flights a day to Chicago, maybe adding the following route. :) Maybe EWR-DTW-MDW MDW-DTW-EWR NORTH JERSEY is ready for Southwest! Thank you!

[friedmli]

How about Newark-Pittsburgh or Newark-Chicago/Midway? Thanks!!

[Mertzoid]

Please oh please, have non-stop to EWR from STL!!!!!

[Anonymous1067]

When will southwest fly from Dallas to Cancun?

[Kathy1]

I wish that the Nashville to Newark connection will happen in the beginning for March. We have family flying out to Nashville from Newark airport area for my sons wedding on March 13, 2011 and it would be so much easier for them to fly out from Newark instead of Philadelphia. We are so excited for the Newark Airport addition. It will make it so much easier for our family to fly to NJ instead of Philadelphia. And...we love SWA...flights are always on time(early arrivals everytime) and NO luggage fees, which is a ripoff! Keep us the good work SWA!!!

[Betty_Kent]

When will you be flying into Atlanta, I have been waiting for a long time for Southewest to fly into Atlanta,I do hope you will be going there soon!!!!!!!

[Anonymous1119]

Please, Please, Please... direct from Newark to Tucson. Greater Tucson has over 1M in population and a nice airport. Would love a direct flight!!

[Jessica131]

Yea! I now can pick up my grandson from summer at Newark airport without having to deal with the puddle jumper to Wilkes-Barre and then have someone from camp make that drive to pick me up. I now can have the camp deliver him to me at the airport in Newark and fly home to Texas. Is this flight a non-stop flight from Houston to Newark? I hope so.

[Kathy17]

Please add non-stop service from Newark to Sarasota! We are desperate for it!!