Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Senator Edward Kennedy

blusk
Aviator C

Our sympathy goes out to the family of Senator Kennedy.  We were fortunate to see Senator Kennedy onboard our aircraft from time to time out of our Providence Station.  We also owe the Senator a great thank you for his early and staunch support of airline deregulation, which allowed Southwest Airlines to carry our low fares beyond the borders of Texas.

In fact, his name was attached to the Airline Reform Act of 1977 (Cannon-Kennedy-Pearson Air transportation Reform Act), which when passed, became the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.  In his opening statement for the 1977 hearings by the Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senator wrote:  “Regulators all too often encourage or approve unreasonably high prices, inadequate service, and anticompetitive behavior.  The cost of this regulation is always passed on to the consumer.  And that cost is astronomical.”  This legislation let carriers like PSA, Air California, and Southwest spread their low fares beyond California and Texas, and it opened the door for airlines like America West (now US Airways) and jetBlue to enter the market.

2 Comments
w5pda
Adventurer B
So long old friend. I hope your spirit finds its way home to Eire.
carroll3
Adventurer C
Listening to all the kind words and warm stories that described Senator Kennedy I felt as if they were speaking of an Irishman we all know and love. Senator Kennedy was compassionate, generous, smart, always up for a great debate, committed to his causes, willing to compromise, gave credit to those around him, changed the lives of millions, instilled pride in everybody around him, loved people, loved to serve people, inspiring, great sense of humor, loyal, engaged in the people he loved and those he was with. Does any of this sound familiar? I hope Herb knows how much we LUV him, how thankful we are for what he has given us ,how hard we all know he has worked, how much time and LUV he has put into SWA for US. I speak for many Herb, we love you and are so lucky to have you in our lives.