Southwest flight status

History of Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines was founded on March 15, 1967, with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It is a major American airline and is considered the largest low-cost carrier in the world. The initial concept of Southwest Airline was developed by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher and was first called Air Southwest Co. Southwest only service three cities within Texas which were Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston in its first years in business. The beginning of Southwest in the industry had not been an easy one, with Braniff, Trans-Texas Airways and Continental Airlines filing lawsuits to prevent Southwest from flying. The case was resolved in 1970 and in 1971 began to operate within Texas.

Southwest Airline’s Fleet

Southwest only operates an all Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet. With its 753 Boeing 737 aircraft, Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 737, and has the largest Boeing fleet in the world. Southwest also occupies the fourth place of being the biggest airlines with its fleet size. Souhtwest’s fleet has an average of 11 years.
Southwest uses the point to point system instead of hub and spoke system of other major airlines.

Southwest Interesting Facts

In 1972, Southwest had to sell one of its four Boeing737s to be able to make a payroll and stay in the business. Southwest implemented a 10-minute turnaround to maintain the demand of four-aircraft schedule. Up to this day, Southwest was able to keep their operational efficiency so their consumers can get to point A to point B as quickly as possible.

In 1995, Southwest was one of the first airlines to ever have their own website and online booking tool. The first display website was called “Southwest Airlines Home Gate”, where consumers can receive discounts for air travel and up-to-date information and flight routes.

Southwest Airline’s Flight Status: Arrival and Departure Time

Southwest Airlines flight can be tracked using flight tracker like Flight Status 24 online. Check our website to see the real-time status of your flight! It’s free and easy to use, and you can download the app now in the App Store and Google Play.

Southwest Airline Destinations

Southwest has become the US largest domestic airline with 101 destinations in 41 states, Central America, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Carribean and Hawaii, with the latter being the newest. Southwest only became an international airline in July 2014 with its first flights in Bahamas, Jamaica, and Aruba. With its 15 focus cities, Southwest also operates more than 4,000 flights everyday during peak season.

Operating bases and focus cities