Southwest Airlines Releases Fourth Annual Integrated Report On Triple Bottom Line Of Performance, People, And Planet

2012 Southwest Airlines One Report™ Adheres to Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines

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May 14, 2013, 11:00 ET

DALLAS, May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) today releases its fourth annual award-winning integrated report to highlight how the carrier is working to become the world's Most Loved, Most Flown, and Most Profitable Airline. The 2012 Southwest Airlines One Report uses a triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the Planet, which can be found exclusively online at southwestonereport.com or southwest.com/citizenship. To read a blog post revealing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the One Report that features Southwest Employees, visit the NUTS About Southwest blog. To view and download photos from the One Report, visit swamedia.com.

"Southwest remains steadfast to our purpose of connecting people to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, which we're pleased to discuss in the One Report," said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO. "More than four decades after our founding, we're proud to be the domestic airline industry leader in Customer satisfaction, the nation's largest airline in terms of domestic Passengers carried, and the record-holder for profitability with an unprecedented string of 40 consecutive years."

Interesting 2012 statistics that can be found in the One Report include:

PERFORMANCE: Southwest Airlines achieved record revenues of $17.1 billion in 2012, nearly tripling the revenue over the last decade. As of yearend, Southwest remained the only investment-grade rated U.S. airline with strong liquidity, modest debt, and a steadfast focus on enhancing Shareholder value through capital efficiency.
PEOPLE: Southwest Airlines Employees volunteered more than 118,000 hours, which is enough time to fly between Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby—one of Southwest's first routes in 1971—168,571 times.
PLANET: Southwest Airlines diverted nearly 2,900 tons of material—equal to the weight of more than 69 Boeing 737-700s—from landfills and into recycling facilities with our co-mingled recycling program. This is a seven percent increase over 2011 quantities, exceeding the goal of a 2.5 percent improvement.

It is important to Southwest to be transparent to Shareholders, so the award-winning One Report adheres to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and features parallel CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) reporting that covers effective management of environmental risks, focusing on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies.

The 2012 One Report achieved a B+ level under GRI guidelines. Southwest is a leader in its industry and among others in the area of corporate reporting. Southwest is one of only a handful of U.S. companies publishing an integrated report, and Harvard Business School wrote its first case study in 2010 on integrated reporting about the carrier's efforts.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 42^nd year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, and including wholly-owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways, operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 97 destinations in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and six near-international countries.

Southwest Airlines

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel quantified by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. On every flight, Southwest offers Customers the first two pieces of checked luggage (weight and size limitations apply) and all ticket changes without additional fees. Southwest's all Boeing fleet consistently offers leather seating and the comfort of full-size cabins, many of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi connectivity and a new, sustainable cabin interior. With 40 consecutive years of profitability, the People of Southwest operate nearly 3,400 flights a day and serve communities around 84 airports in Southwest's network of domestic destinations. Southwest Airlines' frequent flights and low fares are available only at southwest.com.

AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co., offers coast-to-coast and near-international service with close to 600 flights a day to 49 destinations. The carrier's high-quality product includes assigned seating and Business Class. As Southwest continues to integrate AirTran's People, places, and planes into Southwest Airlines, Customers of both carriers may book flights at airtran.com and exchange earned loyalty points between both AirTran's A+ Rewards® and Southwest's Rapid Rewards® for reward travel on either airline.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines