Tag: Kelly

Southwest Airlines Commemorative History Book Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

December 3, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

DALLAS, TEXAS, December 2, 2021 Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) is wrapping up its milestone 50th Anniversary year by releasing a one-of-a-kind commemorative history book, “50 Years. One Heart. A History of Southwest in 50 Objects.”

Starting today, Southwest® fans can purchase this unique coffee-table book, which brings to life the Company’s colorful history, its corporate archives, and reflection of its People through photographs and moments from the carrier’s rich past, exclusively sold at Southwest® The Store. This special book also represents the exciting culmination of 50 years’ worth of iconic stories as Southwest Airlines® closes out its first five decades.

“Throughout our 50th Anniversary year, we’ve reflected on the past—the People, stories, and moments that defined our first half-century,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for Southwest Airlines. “This commemorative history book celebrates our unique past and Culture, and serves as an inspiration as we close one chapter of our Company history and turn the page to our next chapter, filled with hope and resilience.”

Southwest is celebrating its incredible first 50 years by showcasing a stunning collection of 50 unique objects, outfits, and artifacts (photographed by Southwest Sr. Photographer Stephen M. Keller and Southwest Sr. Designer Brianna Juda), accompanied by short stories from the Company’s inspiring history and a special foreword by Kelly as he prepares to transition into his role as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in early 2022.

This is the first of two special books launching in celebration of Southwest’s 50th year of service—more information coming on the second book in early 2022.

Southwest Airlines Orders 100 Boeing 737 MAX Jets, Plus 155 Options

March 29, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE, March 29, 2021 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Southwest Airlines [NYSE: LUV] today announced the carrier will continue to build its business around the 737 MAX family with a new order for 100 airplanes and 155 options across two models. The deal comes after a multi-year fleet evaluation by Southwest and means that Boeing and its suppliers could build more than 600 new 737 MAX jets for the airline through 2031.

Southwest had been exploring options to modernize the largest component of its fleet: the 737-700 that serves the airline’s needs for a 140-150 seat airplane. With the new agreement, the airline reaffirmed the 737-7 as its preferred replacement and growth airplane. The jet will complement the 737-8, which serves Southwest’s needs for a 175-seat model. Both 737 MAX family members will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes they replace, helping to improve operating costs and environmental performance. Southwest said the solution allows it to maintain the operational efficiencies of an all-Boeing 737 fleet to support its low-cost, point-to-point route network.

The new purchase agreement takes Southwest’s order book to 200 737-7s and 180 737-8s, more than 30 of which have already been delivered. Southwest will also have 270 options for either of the two models, taking the carrier’s direct-buy commitment to more than 600 airplanes. The airline also plans additional 737 MAX jets through third-party lessors.

As part of the agreement, Southwest will also expand its use of Boeing’s digital solutions to support its 737 MAX fleet, including Airplane Health Management, Maintenance Performance Toolbox and digital navigation charting tools. Boeing will also provide system software upgrades and new wireless communications-enabling equipment to support Southwest’s operations.

Southwest Airlines Announces Myrtle Beach, Eugene, and Bellingham 2021 Service Plans

March 8, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today announced an intention to bring the flexibility and value of Southwest Airlines® to three more new airports in 2021. Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly today is sharing the following message with the Employees of Southwest:

I’m pleased to share with you all that today we’re announcing our intention to serve three more destinations and continue our focus on putting our aircraft to work to pursue more Customers and much-needed revenue.

And the destinations are (drum roll!) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Eugene, Oregon; and Bellingham, Washington—three very different and appealing locations to both serve our existing Customers and places where we feel Southwest can make a real difference for local travelers.

We’re looking to start Myrtle Beach service in time for summer vacations and we expect our arrival to appeal to travelers who currently drive to this very popular coastal area in the Southeast. ‘Golf bags fly free’* should be very popular for Myrtle Beach service!

Eugene is about two hours south of Portland, and it’s ripe for the Southwest Effect, our Hospitality, and our flexible policies, with no hidden fees, and low fares.

Southwest service in Bellingham positions us just south of metro Vancouver, British Columbia. Following the reopening of the Canadian border, we expect a return of the value-minded travelers who already drive to this alternative airport to escape high fares and taxes—and that’s very, very typical for Southwest destinations. Southwest provides a great value for them.

Service to both Eugene and Bellingham is something we’ve anticipated in the second half of the year.

That makes 17 new airports that either we have opened or announced since the pandemic began. And for those that have commenced service, they’re performing very well. In fact, we just shared with the airports serving Steamboat Springs and Telluride that we’re extending our service beyond the winter season to continue serving both through the summer of 2021.

Colorado Springs, Savannah, and our Long Beach service to Hawaii all start-up this coming Thursday.

That’s a lot of work, a lot of new destinations, and a lot of options for our Customers and so I want to thank all of the Teams that have a hand in continuing to grow the Heart of Southwest while better positioning us to capture more Customers as the travel demand rebounds.

*Golf bags fly free as one of two checked pieces of baggage offered to every Southwest Customer (weight and size limitations apply)

Southwest Expects 737 MAX Cancellations Beyond October 1

July 1, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, July 1 (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines expects it will have to remove the grounded Boeing Co 737 MAX jets from its flying schedule beyond the current Oct. 1 re-entry date following the discovery of a fresh safety issue, Chief Executive Gary Kelly told employees on Monday.

Last week, Boeing said that it would take until at least September to solve 737 MAX software issues – later than airlines had been expecting – after U.S. aviation regulators uncovered a new problem during simulator sessions.

“I’m sure this will cause us to have to take the MAX out of the schedule beyond Oct. 1,” Kelly said in an internal update, adding that the company would also see “what other modifications we might need to make our plans for this year because it’s obviously extending well beyond what I had hoped.”

Kelly did not elaborate on the possible modifications. So far, the Texas-based airline has tried to substitute its MAX routes with spare aircraft but has still been forced to cancel about 115 daily flights.

American Airlines Group and United Airlines Holdings , the other two U.S. carriers that operate the 737 MAX, have removed the jetliner from their flying schedules until early September.

The three airlines are expected to provide more details on the financial toll of a prolonged MAX grounding during second quarter results later in July.

Boeing’s fast-selling narrowbody was grounded worldwide in March following two deadly crashes within five months.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

Southwest CEO Says Mechanics Deserve New Contract

February 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines Co’s mechanics, who have been in labor contract talks for more than six years, deserve a new deal that makes them among the best paid in the airline industry, but the low-cost U.S. carrier needs “more supplier flexibility” in return, the company’s chief executive said.

The labor dispute, one of the biggest to hit a top-four U.S. airline in more than a decade, has escalated with Southwest’s daily out-of-service aircraft doubling, forcing the carrier to cancel hundreds of flights since Feb. 15.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly in an email to the company’s employees acknowledged the company was “in a period of tension and turmoil” regarding the out-of-service aircraft. Reuters obtained a copy of the email late Friday.

Kelly said the mechanics deserve a new contract and pointed out that the deal the mechanics voted down last year would have made those workers the highest paid in the industry. He said current talks offer the opportunity to offer even higher pay with no impact on job security “in exchange for more supplier flexibility.”

Southwest already outsources the majority of heavy maintenance work, such as scheduled engine repairs, to external suppliers, but wants the option to send more scheduled maintenance abroad in order to fund compensation increases. The change would not affect the kind of work currently handled by its mechanics, a Southwest spokesman said.

Officials with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), which represents about 2,400 Southwest mechanics and has been in contract talks with management since 2012, could not immediately be reached to comment on Saturday.

The union has disputed the notion that the maintenance issues are driven by the labor dispute, pointing out the company has the lowest mechanic-to-aircraft ratio of any major carrier.

In a Friday email to its members, the union rejected the company’s assertion that the maintenance issues were a job action and said mechanics should not allow themselves to be pressured to ignore safety or mechanical issues with a plane.

“If you feel you are being pressured to disregard aircraft damage or shortcut the manuals, then let your airline representative know of such threats,” union national director Bret Oestreich said in the email. “But do not get baited into acts of defiance that will be characterized as insubordination.”

Flights by Southwest accounted for more than a third of 777 U.S. cancellations between Friday and Saturday, according to FlightAware.com.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago, Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Canada’s Answer to Tesla Is a $15,500 Electric 3-Wheeler

February 13, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Bloomberg) — It’s all-electric like a Tesla. It’s priced like a Ford Fiesta. It’s one of the oddest-looking vehicles you’ve ever seen — and it may just redefine the commuter car.

As General Motors Co. prepares to shut the plant near Toronto that got car-making started in Canada more than a century ago, a new model is taking shape in a tiny production facility in Vancouver’s outskirts.

Meet the Solo — a one-seater vehicle made by Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corp. that costs $15,500. By December, 5,000 will be zipping around the streets of Los Angeles, with an additional 70,000 to be delivered over the next two years across the West Coast. Electra Meccanica may have a market value of just $80 million, yet it has $2.4 billion in pre-orders. The stock almost doubled in New York Wednesday.

Click the link for the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-apos-latest-competitor-15-220000179.html

The company also has designs on the 4-wheel market…