Shock! Horror! Airline turns in a profit!
United States: No-frills carrier stays in the black despite massive industry losses
The United States no-frills carrier Southwest Air has shocked large parts of the aviation industry by declaring a profit at a time when most others are making losses.
The carrier made US$24 million during the first three months of the year – an increase of some 14 per cent – while its traffic grew by five per cent over the same period.
What is more, Southwest is planning to grow by a further four per cent this year, and is believed to have several aircraft on order for next year. By way of contrast, United States carriers are expected to have collectively lost some US$3.5 billion over the last three months.
However, the carrier’s chief executive James Parker said it had also been affected by the hostilities in Iraq and the growing spectre of the SARS virus. He said in a statement: “Although our financial performance has been exceptional relative to the airline industry as a whole, Southwest, too, has been severely impacted by the lingering effects of the 2001 terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq.”
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025