Southwest Airlines News

The Guardian • Staff and agencies

Heathrow Closure After Substation Fire Disrupts Global Flights

A fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport has caused a significant power outage, leading to the full-day closure of one of the world's busiest hubs. Over 120 flights were diverted, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers and raising concerns about contingency planning.

2025-03-20T20:25:54.605790-07:00

Wall Street Journal

Southwest Ends 'Bags Fly Free', Charges US$35/$45 for Checked Bags from May 28

2025-05-26T21:42:35.259219-07:00

CNBC

American Airlines Faces $473 Million Loss in Q1 2025 Amid Economic Uncertainty

2025-04-24T04:47:07.322567-07:00

Skift

Southwest and China Airlines Forge First Transpacific Interline Partnership

2025-06-02T05:06:41.691543-07:00

Southwest Airlines News Timeline

The Points Guy

Southwest Airlines to Add First New Destination Since 2021 with St. Thomas Service Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop flights to St. Thomas’ Cyril E. King International Airport in early 2026, marking its first network expansion since 2021. The move shifts the carrier’s post-COVID focus from densifying existing routes to adding new points on its map.

2025-07-14T14:37:30.971292-07:00

Southwest Airlines to Add First New Destination Since 2021 with St. Thomas Service

CBS News

Southwest ground crews battle triple-digit heat to turn 200 daily flights in Phoenix Facing triple-digit summer heat, Southwest Airlines’ Phoenix ground crews are tasked with turning around some 200 flights daily. Teams juggle fueling, cleaning and baggage handling under intense time pressure and soaring temperatures to meet tight schedules and maintain reliability at one of the airline’s busiest hubs.

2025-07-10T22:07:00.470976-07:00

Southwest ground crews battle triple-digit heat to turn 200 daily flights in Phoenix

AirInsight

Southwest’s MAX 8/800 Turns Now Exceed 25 Minutes, Adding $1,000+ in Costs Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 8/800 turn times have increased to more than 25 minutes—over double the 10-minute benchmark the carrier once touted—boosting per-flight ground costs by over $1,000, despite a 22% rise in seat capacity with the upgauged aircraft.

2025-07-08T10:11:59.439408-07:00

Southwest’s MAX 8/800 Turns Now Exceed 25 Minutes, Adding $1,000+ in Costs

Reuters

❗️

Southwest Airlines Sues Drugmakers, Alleges Price-Fixing Inflated Employee Medication Costs Southwest Airlines has sued a coalition of leading pharmaceutical firms in US court, accusing them of orchestrating a price-fixing scheme that inflated drug prices and cost the carrier hundreds of millions on employee medications. The complaint marks a significant antitrust challenge from a major airline.

2025-07-07T16:27:08.308244-07:00

Southwest Airlines Sues Drugmakers, Alleges Price-Fixing Inflated Employee Medication Costs

Fortune

Southwest CEO Picks Up Trash and Serves Snacks Inflight to Uphold Cofounder’s Ethos Southwest’s chief executive says he routinely assists flight attendants by picking up trash and serving snacks on board, seating himself in the aisle to move freely. He says it embodies co-founder Herb Kelleher’s hands-on, customer-centric ethos.

2025-07-06T10:03:22.916861-07:00

Southwest CEO Picks Up Trash and Serves Snacks Inflight to Uphold Cofounder’s Ethos

New York Times

❗️

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan Justifies New Bag Fees and Assigned Seats In a surprise policy shift, Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines’ CEO, has ended the carrier’s 53-year “bags fly free” tradition and introduced assigned seating, defending the move as critical to bolster revenue streams and align the low-cost carrier with rivals amid evolving market pressures.

2025-07-06T02:05:04.591393-07:00

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan Justifies New Bag Fees and Assigned Seats

Fox Business

Southwest Rolls Out Honeywell Runway-Risk Alerts Across 737 Cockpits Southwest Airlines is fitting its Boeing 737 fleet with new Honeywell runway-risk software, delivering real-time cockpit warnings of potential runway hazards and incursion threats. The system acts as a ‘third set of eyes,’ enabling pilots to address critical safety risks before they escalate.

2025-07-02T17:32:30.954706-07:00

Southwest Rolls Out Honeywell Runway-Risk Alerts Across 737 Cockpits

CBS News

Southwest Airlines Launches Multi-Million Dollar Heat Mitigation Program After In-Flight Cans Burst Southwest Airlines has launched a multi-million dollar program to strengthen cabin cooling systems and revise in-flight service procedures, following reports of beverage cans bursting mid-flight due to record summer heat. The measures include enhanced temperature controls and adjustments to onboard storage and service protocols.

2025-06-24T09:14:38.069306-07:00

Southwest Airlines Launches Multi-Million Dollar Heat Mitigation Program After In-Flight Cans Burst

Create a free account to see more recent Southwest Airlines stories.

About

Dive into our Southwest Airlines news feed for a detailed look at the operational strategies, customer engagement initiatives, and financial health of one of the most iconic low-cost carriers. Our coverage tracks Southwest's efforts to maintain its competitive edge in the ever-changing landscape of the airline industry.