With more than 30 years of service in Missouri, we’re showing our commitment to the state in a big way! Earlier today at the Aviation Technical Services hangar at Kansas City International Airport (the first Show-Me State city we served), Southwest introduced the latest addition to our fleet—Missouri One! She is a 737-700 that is emblazoned with an artist’s rendition of the Missouri state flag.
Southwest Airlines’ Kansas City Employees, community partners, and local dignitaries celebrated the unveiling at a “show time”-themed party alongside Southwest Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Kansas City Mayor Sly James, and myself. It was great seeing many of our Southwest supporters and honoring our longstanding partnership with the state!
After kicking off the show in a reception area, we marshalled the audience into a separate room for an amazing video that revealed our big surprise. When the video screen dropped, our enthusiastic audience had their first look at Missouri One, which was waiting in the hangar, ready for her debut.
In addition to the unveiling, we continued to share our Southwest Spirit with the state by making a donation to Kansas City’s Science City at Union Station to support summer camps that encourage local students to explore their interests in engineering, science, and technology.
After the festivities in Kansas City conclude, this Missouri bird will fly over to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to keep the party going with our STL-based Employees, community partners, and local dignitaries, including St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. We are also making a donation to the St. Louis Science Center to help fund scholarships for their flight academy camp.
“Kansas City and St. Louis have been vital cities in our network for more than 30 years,” Gary Kelly said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to ‘show’ our love to our Employees, Customers, and friends in the great state of Missouri than by dedicating this high-flying salute to them!”
Southwest has been showing Missourians our legendary service since we began serving Kansas City in 1982 and St. Louis in 1985. After Gary announced in 2004 that Southwest would pursue an end to the Wright Amendment, one of our biggest supporters was Former Missouri Senator Kit Bond, who introduced a bill providing an exemption to the Wright Amendment for Missouri. This led to the start of nonstop service to Kansas City and St. Louis from Love Field on December 13, 2005. Today, Missouri is Southwest’s ninth-largest state in terms of daily departures.
Missouri One joins nine other 737s in Southwest’s fleet that carry unique state paint schemes. Watch the above time-lapse video to watch the transformation unfold and check back later today for photos from the celebration!
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It’s been a long time in the making (34 years, to be exact!) but we are now one step closer to the departure of the Wright Amendment! This morning, Southwest Airlines CEO, Gary Kelly, alongside Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, announced our new, nonstop destinations from Dallas Love Field.
For the first time in our Company history, Southwest will be able to offer nonstop service to the domestic destination of our choice from Dallas Love Field. We will begin serving five new nonstop destinations on October 13, followed by 10 more nonstop destinations on November 2 (for a total of 15 new nonstop destinations
by November 2).
(click for enlarged view)
Beginning Oct. 13, 2014, Southwest will offer nonstop(s) to the following from Dallas Love Field:
Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
Denver (DEN)
Las Vegas (LAS)
Orlando (MCO)
Chicago (MDW)
Beginning Nov. 2, 2014, Southwest will offer nonstop(s) to the following from Dallas Love Field:
Atlanta (ATL)
Nashville (BNA)
Reagan National (DCA)
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL)
Los Angeles (LAX)
New York LaGuardia (LGA)
Phoenix (PHX)
San Diego (SAN)
Orange County (SNA)
Tampa Bay (TPA)
And this is just the beginning! In May, we’ll announce the frequencies and the fares for this new service giving Southwest’s Customers the first opportunity to book via www.southwest.com.
Currently, the Wright Amendment allows Southwest to fly nonstop from Love Field to nine states including Texas. The Wright Amendment’s repeal allows Southwest to fly to an additional 41 states plus the District of Columbia (Reagan National airport) from Love Field.
The Wright Amendment repeal provides a substantial opportunity for our Company and Customers–it allows us to finally take people where they want to go from our hometown airport and gives Customers access to our vast network.
We hope you will join us in saying good bye Wright Amendment, hello America!
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12-04-2013
01:53 PM
20 Loves
We need your help (and your voice!) to protect Customers from a proposed tax increase! As part of a potential budget deal, Congress is seeking to double the current Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Passenger Security Tax from $2.50 to $5, and the White House proposes tripling the tax by 2017.
Take action at Stop Air Tax Now to oppose these increases! With just a few clicks, your voice can be heard.
The U.S. airlines and our Customers are already subject to 17 different federal taxes and fees, which totaled nearly $19 billion in 2012.
TSA is already adequately funded. From FY 2007 to FY 2012, Congress increased the TSA budget 18 percent while the number of passengers screened dropped. Simply put, TSA does not need the money. TSA is screening about 11 percent fewer passengers today than it did in 2007. Additionally, the agency is getting more efficient in screening passengers, particularly with the expanding "PreCheck" expedited screening program. If more taxes are needed, it is time that Congress seeks money from other users and beneficiaries of the TSA's services who currently pay nothing instead of just socking it (again) to the airline industry.
Higher taxes drive up the cost of air travel for our Customers and dampen demand, which hurts all of us. Our trade organization, Airlines for America (A4A), and other industry partners have joined together to oppose these tax hikes and WE NEED YOUR HELP to ensure these taxes are not increased.
Take action at Stop Air Tax Now to tell lawmakers that you are already paying your fair share and that these increases cannot happen on the backs of those who drive the economy - our Customers and the U.S. Airlines!
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I am pleased to announce the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded Southwest Airlines two slot exemptions (one daily roundtrip) to operate new service from Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport to Reagan National creating the only nonstop service between DCA and HOU! Southwest Airlines’ DCA – HOU slot application garnered nationwide, grassroots attention from Employees, Customers, and Community Leaders creating a groundswell of support for the application! The grassroots campaign, “Red, White & HOU” became the rally cry of Southwest Airlines supporters who took action by calling and writing the Department of Transportation. Over 10,000 advocates took action on our advocacy page by signing the Citizens' Petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation in support of Southwest’s application for HOU-DCA service. In addition, Civic and Community Leaders wrote on behalf of Southwest citing the economic impact, increased competition in the markets, and travel options for the tens of thousands consumers flying between HOU and DCA annually. Thank you to all who voiced their support of the Southwest Airlines’ DCA – HOU slot application. This was truly a labor of LUV and shows that when we are unified, our voice is strong and our efforts take flight! The DOT’s decision, carrier proposals and other documents in the case are available atwww.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2000-7182.
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