Southwest Airlines
Low-cost airline of the United States
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| February 2025 | Following a board takeover, Southwest laid off 1,750 non-contract staff, approximately 15% of its corporate workforce. |
| 2024 | Southwest Airlines discontinued services to Cozumel International Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Bellingham International Airport. |
| 2024 | Southwest Airlines discontinued service to Syracuse, New York after a relatively short period of operation. |
| October 2024 | Southwest reached a settlement with Elliott Investment Management, resulting in Gary Kelly stepping down as executive chairman and five Elliott-backed directors joining the board. |
| October 9 2024 | The last aircraft in the Canyon Blue livery (N786SW) is retired, marking the end of the Canyon Blue Era. |
| September 2024 | Gary Kelly announced he would not seek reelection as executive chairman in 2025, in response to pressure from Elliott Investment Management. |
| June 2024 | Elliott Investment Management announced a $1.9 billion position in Southwest and launched a campaign to change leadership, arguing the company had 'failed to evolve'. |
| May 2024 | Southwest Airlines fares began appearing on Google search results for the first time. |
| January 2024 | Latest five-year labor contract for Southwest Airlines pilots was approved. |
| 2023 | The airline further expanded, reaching 137 million passengers with a passenger load factor of 80.0% and growing its fleet to 817 aircraft. |
| 2023 | Southwest launched Imua One, their first Boeing 737 MAX 8 with a Hawaii-themed livery, dedicated to Southwest employees and the Hawaiian community. |
| December 2023 | Southwest Airlines reached a settlement with the US Department of Transportation and received a record-setting $140 million fine, the largest ever imposed by the agency, and reported losses exceeding $1.1 billion from the 2022 holiday meltdown. |
| November 2023 | Southwest Airlines and DFW Airport confirmed preliminary talks about starting service at the airport after Love Field gate requirements expire in 2025. |
| 2022 | Southwest Airlines continued its recovery, increasing passengers to 126 million and improving passenger load factor to 83.4%. |
| December 2022 | Southwest experienced a massive operational meltdown during the holiday season, canceling over 15,000 flights and incurring a record $140 million fine from the U.S. Department of Transportation. |
| December 26 2022 | Southwest Airlines initiated a massive system 'reset', preemptively canceling thousands of flights and halting ticket sales to manage the ongoing operational crisis. |
| July 2022 | Southwest acknowledged MAX 7 type certification delays, expecting no deliveries until 2026 and planning to receive MAX 8 aircraft in the interim. |
| July 27 2022 | Federal investigators released a report citing four whistleblowers, claiming Southwest stonewalled FAA investigations into maintenance and piloting safety lapses, and misused the Aviation Safety Action Program to hide pilot errors. |
| February 1 2022 | Bob Jordan became Southwest's sixth CEO, replacing Gary C. Kelly. |
| 2021 | Southwest expands service to new markets, including Houston Bush Airport, Chicago O'Hare, Miami International Airport, and three Colorado ski cities. |
| 2021 | The airline began recovering from the pandemic, increasing passenger numbers to 99 million with a lower passenger load factor of 78.5%. |
| 2021 | Southwest opened a 5-gate extension of Terminal A at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, becoming the sole occupant of the terminal. |
| 2021 | Southwest partnered with Disney to celebrate both companies' 50th anniversaries, featuring a special livery and Disney characters inside the cabin (N954WN). |
| 2021 | Southwest unveiled Freedom One, their first Boeing 737-800 with a United States flag-themed special livery. |
| November 14 2021 | Southwest Airlines launched scheduled flights to Syracuse, New York, expanding its destination network. |
| September 14 2021 | Thomas M. Nealon retired from his duties as president, with Mike Van de Ven named as the company's new president. |
| June 23 2021 | Southwest announced that CEO Gary Kelly would transition roles in early 2022, becoming executive chairman. |
| May 23 2021 | A female passenger assaulted a Southwest flight attendant, punching her in the face and causing her to lose two teeth. The passenger was charged with causing serious bodily injury. |
| March 2021 | Southwest announced an order for 100 MAX 7 jets with deliveries expected from 2022. |
| March 11 2021 | Southwest resumed 737 MAX operations, becoming the fourth US airline to do so. |
| 2020 | A Southwest flight captain was found watching pornography while unclothed during a flight. He retired before the incident was reported but was subsequently prosecuted and had his retirement benefits terminated. |
| 2020 | Southwest Airlines experienced a dramatic reduction in passengers to 54 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly lower than the 134 million passengers in 2019. |
| November 2020 | The FAA formally ended the 737 MAX grounding, and Southwest began preparing to return its 34 737 MAX aircraft to service. |
| November 6 2020 | Southwest issues its first-ever WARN Act notices to 42 employees, formally threatening furloughs due to pandemic-related losses. |
| October 5 2020 | CEO Gary C. Kelly announces pay cuts for non-union employees and senior management starting in 2021 to prevent furloughs. |
| July 2020 | Approximately one-third of Southwest employees express interest in early retirement or long-term leave, with over 16,800 employees signing up for voluntary separation and extended time off programs. |
| April 28 2020 | Southwest indefinitely grounded 350 of its 742 aircraft and delayed many 737 MAX deliveries. |
| April 14 2020 | Southwest finalizes congressional relief funding, receiving $2.3 billion in grants and a $1 billion low-interest loan during the pandemic. |
| March 2020 | In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest indefinitely stored 50 737-700 aircraft at Southern California Logistics Airport. |
| February 2020 | A Department of Transportation inspector general report found Southwest was flying airplanes with safety concerns and the FAA was failing to properly oversee the airline. |
| January 2 2020 | Southwest Airlines announced the purchase of additional land adjacent to its Wings and LEAD facilities, with no further details disclosed. |
| 2019 | Southwest Airlines ended its 47-year consecutive profitable fiscal years streak. |
| 2019 | Southwest Airlines ceased operations at Mexico City International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. |
| October 2019 | A Southwest flight attendant filed a lawsuit alleging that two pilots livestreamed footage from a hidden camera in the plane's toilet. Southwest and the pilot union claimed it was a hoax and 'poor attempt at humor'. |
| October 18 2019 | Southwest modified its Rapid Rewards program so that points do not expire as long as the member is alive, and added more options to use points. |
| August 16 2019 | Southwest Airlines announced an expansion of the LEAD Center to accommodate eight additional simulators for future operational and training demands. |
| March 13 2019 | Southwest was significantly impacted by the US grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with 34 aircraft (4.5% of its fleet) grounded due to safety concerns. |
| 2018 | Southwest commemorated the 30th Anniversary of Shark Week with five specially decorated Boeing 737-700s featuring different shark species. |
| 2018 | Southwest Airlines introduced Louisiana One, a Boeing aircraft featuring the Louisiana state flag as a special livery design. |
| October 1 2018 | Southwest received its final Boeing 737-800, with future deliveries expected to be Boeing 737 MAX variants. |
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