Southwest Airlines Reports February Traffic

DALLAS, March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 5.0 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in February 2010, a 2.3 percent decrease from the 5.1 billion RPMs flown in February 2009.  Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 8.7 percent to 6.8 billion from the February 2009 level of 7.4 billion.  The load factor for the month was 73.9 percent, compared to 69.1 percent for the same period last year.  Weather-related flight cancellations during the month reduced the Company's passenger revenues by an estimated $15 million.  For February 2010, passenger revenue per ASM is estimated to have increased in the 16 to 17 percent range as compared to February 2009.

For the first two months of 2010, Southwest flew 10.5 billion RPMs, compared to 10.2 billion RPMs for the same period in 2009, an increase of 2.4 percent.  Available seat miles decreased 7.6 percent to 14.4 billion from the 2009 level of 15.6 billion.  The year-to-date load factor was 72.9 percent, compared to 65.8 percent for the same period last year.

This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available online at southwest.com.

    
    
                             SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.                         
                   PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS         
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                   FEBRUARY              
                                         -------------------------------  
                                         2010        2009         CHANGE   
                                         ----        ----         ------   
                                                                         
    Revenue passengers carried         5,922,120   6,096,997       (2.9)%
                                                                         
    Enplaned passengers                6,963,295   7,068,038       (1.5)%
                                                                         
    Revenue passenger miles (000)      4,986,254   5,104,418       (2.3)%
                                                                         
    Available seat miles (000)         6,751,455   7,391,395       (8.7)%
                                                                         
    Load factor                             73.9%       69.1%       4.8 pts.
                                                                         
    Average length of haul                   842         837        0.6% 
                                                                         
    Trips flown                           78,718      86,009       (8.5)%
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                 YEAR-TO-DATE            
                                         -------------------------------  
                                         2010        2009         CHANGE   
                                         ----        ----         ------   
                                                                         
    Revenue passengers carried        12,288,426  12,085,113        1.7% 
                                                                         
    Enplaned passengers               14,539,308  14,061,604        3.4% 
                                                                         
    Revenue passenger miles (000)     10,485,341  10,239,797        2.4% 
                                                                         
    Available seat miles (000)        14,374,030  15,563,934       (7.6)%
                                                                         
    Load factor                             72.9%       65.8%       7.1 pts.
                                                                         
    Average length of haul                   853         847        0.7% 
                                                                         
    Trips flown                          167,124     180,615       (7.5)%

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.