Some existing routes like BWI were upgauged where 13,000 additional seats were added in the 5-year period even though total flights decreased by 9 in the period. The expansion has occurred in many different ways, some established routes like Washington DC, that saw 770 flights in 2014, expanded to serve 1,327 flights in 2018. Only 3 airports (ATL, DAL, and FLL) flying at least 1M departing Southwest passengers have seen a higher percentage growth than STL's 43.8% over that period. Louis has played a prominent role in Southwest's overall expansion plans. Louis as a connecting airport in it's network. Southwest has served both the local passengers and been increasingly using St. Over the past decade, Southwest has continued its expansion, increasing passenger numbers 67% between 20 to 9.6M, adding new gates from the long shuttered Terminal D, and establishing new routes across the country. Louis' route map along with getting a boost of being allowed to have service direct to Dallas Love-Field beginning in 2006. The airline was steadily expanding before American (post-TWA) reduced service at the airport and then Southwest began to fill in many of the gaps appearing in St. Louis gained some Southwest flights as a good midway point for the airline's all 737 fleet. Southwest began at the airport in the late 80's serving as a low cost alternative to the dominant TWA. Southwest flies more than half of all passengers at Lambert and shows no signs (MAX airplane issues aside) from losing that dominance anytime soon. But these are all dwarfed by Southwest's additions. While other airlines might add a flight or two, they are contributing passenger gains in the tens of thousands or low hundreds of thousands. The airline has consistently performed above the airline average, and was only outranked by Alaska Airlines in terms of consumer satisfaction in 2023.Southwest Airlines has been Lambert's largest carrier for over a decade and is almost solely responsible for the passenger gains that have brought the airport's overall passenger counts back to levels not reached since the early 2000's. dollars.Īccording to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the company scored 78 points in 2023, with 100 being the highest and best possible customer satisfaction score. 2022, the airline recorded a net income of 539 million U.S.

Continued impacts of the COVID-pandemic as well as the impacts of winter storms in late 2022, which led to further travel disruptions, impacted Southwest’s profitability. Southwest Airlines finances began to recover in 2021, when the airline recorded a net income of 977 million U.S.

While the airline reduced operating expenses in 2020, as well this did not match the loss in revenues and led to losses of more than three billion dollars in 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic heavily impacted the airline's performance between 20, the airline’s passenger numbers dropped by close to 60 percent. Impact of COVID-19 on the airline's performance The airline was not able to maintain its domestic supremacy but remained the third largest airline in the domestic market in the United States in 2022. In 2015, Southwest Airlines became the leading carrier in terms of market share and surpassed its main competitors, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The merger also provided growth on the domestic passenger market. Southwest Airlines’ largest hubs are Denver International Airport and Chicago Midway, with over 10.3 and 9.6 million Southwest passengers handled at the respective airports.Īfter the merger of Orlando-based AirTran Airways in late 2014 under the Southwest Airlines brand, the company’s operating income almost doubled, from 2.2 billion U.S. Despite being headquartered in Dallas, Southwest Airlines’ largest hubs lie outside of its home state.

Southwest airlines map of cities served