Feature News

DALLAS, April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) announced today that the Company flew 6.7 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in March 2009, essentially flat with March 2008. Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 1.5 percent to 8.6 billion from the March 2008 level of 8.7 billion. The load factor for the month was 77.3 percent, compared to 76.5 percent for the same period last year. For March 2009, the Company estimates passenger revenue per ASM decreased in the 10 to 11 percent range as compared to March 2008.

For first quarter 2009, Southwest flew 16.9 billion RPMs, compared to the 17.6 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2008, a decrease of 4.0 percent. Available seat miles decreased 4.1 percent to 24.2 billion from the 2008 level of 25.2 billion. The first quarter 2009 load factor was 69.9 percent, compared to 69.8 percent for the same period last year.

This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available online at http://www.southwest.com/?src=INVRINVMRTR000000090403.

                                   SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
                         PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS

                                              MARCH

                                   2009        2008           CHANGE

    Revenue passengers
     carried                     7,680,666   8,097,833         (5.2)%

    Enplaned passengers          8,988,386   9,309,658         (3.5)%

    Revenue passenger
     miles (000)                 6,651,832   6,679,424         (0.4)%

    Available seat
     miles (000)                 8,607,741   8,736,967         (1.5)%

    Load factor                       77.3%       76.5%     0.8 pts.

    Average length of haul             866         825          5.0 %

    Trips flown                     98,520     101,543         (3.0)%



                                           YEAR-TO-DATE

                                   2009        2008           CHANGE


    Revenue passengers
     carried                    19,765,779  21,504,821         (8.1)%

    Enplaned passengers         23,049,990  24,708,615         (6.7)%

    Revenue passenger
     miles (000)                16,891,629  17,592,159         (4.0)%

    Available seat
     miles (000)                24,171,675  25,193,437         (4.1)%

    Load factor                       69.9%       69.8%     0.1 pts.

    Average length
     of haul                           855         818          4.5 %

    Trips flown                    279,135     294,790         (5.3)%