Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. is a passenger airline headquartered at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. It was incorporated in Texas in 1967 and began service on 18 June 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft serving Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The company states its purpose as connecting people to what is important in their lives through friendly, reliable and low-cost air travel.

Network and operations

• Serves 118 airports across 11 countries, as of 31 December 2025
• More than 4,000 flights a day during peak travel periods
• More than 73,000 employees
• 134 million passengers carried in 2025

Fleet

Southwest operates only Boeing 737 aircraft. At 31 December 2025 the fleet numbered 803:

• 305 Boeing 737-700 with 137 seats
• 198 Boeing 737-800 with 175 seats
• 300 Boeing 737-8 with 175 seats

Milestones

• 1994: first major US airline to offer ticketless travel
• 1995: first major airline to post a website
• 2013: first service outside the 48 contiguous states, to Puerto Rico
• July 2014: first international flights, to Nassau, Montego Bay and Aruba
• March 2019: service to the Hawaiian Islands began

Company facts

• Listed on the NYSE under the symbol LUV
• Operating revenue of $28.1 billion in 2025
• Headquarters at 2702 Love Field Drive, Dallas