SWA/FO
5 Star Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 3,520
"The project, which will result in the building of a five-story addition next to the current five-story portion of Headquarters, will be completed early next year.
While strictly controlling costs is still Southwest’s highest priority, moving forward with this previously planned expansion is necessary to provide some much-needed room for a number of new and/or growing departments, including Technology, Inflight Training, Dispatch, and Interactive Marketing. These Teams provide a critical support role for our Company. By giving them the space they need to work effectively, they will be better able to serve our operations in the field and, in turn, our Customers.
To illustrate the extent of our growth at HDQ over the past 13-plus years, consider: When we cut the ribbon on our current HDQ facility (which only consisted of one, three-story building) in April of 1990, Southwest had a general office staff of approximately 600, with only 7,800 Employees Systemwide and just under 100 aircraft in our fleet.
When we announced we would begin construction on a 300,000-square-foot addition to HDQ six and a half years later (in December 1996), we had grown to nearly 23,000 Employees Systemwide, with more than 1,100 at Headquarters and a fleet of 243 Boeing 737s. Today, we find ourselves with nearly 2,800 HDQ Employees, more than 34,000 Employees Systemwide, and a fleet of 389 aircraft. By the end of this year, our fleet will have grown to 417. All of this points to one thing: As our Company changes, adapts to an evolving industry, and grows, we simply need more room to spread our wings."
From SWA Today
While strictly controlling costs is still Southwest’s highest priority, moving forward with this previously planned expansion is necessary to provide some much-needed room for a number of new and/or growing departments, including Technology, Inflight Training, Dispatch, and Interactive Marketing. These Teams provide a critical support role for our Company. By giving them the space they need to work effectively, they will be better able to serve our operations in the field and, in turn, our Customers.
To illustrate the extent of our growth at HDQ over the past 13-plus years, consider: When we cut the ribbon on our current HDQ facility (which only consisted of one, three-story building) in April of 1990, Southwest had a general office staff of approximately 600, with only 7,800 Employees Systemwide and just under 100 aircraft in our fleet.
When we announced we would begin construction on a 300,000-square-foot addition to HDQ six and a half years later (in December 1996), we had grown to nearly 23,000 Employees Systemwide, with more than 1,100 at Headquarters and a fleet of 243 Boeing 737s. Today, we find ourselves with nearly 2,800 HDQ Employees, more than 34,000 Employees Systemwide, and a fleet of 389 aircraft. By the end of this year, our fleet will have grown to 417. All of this points to one thing: As our Company changes, adapts to an evolving industry, and grows, we simply need more room to spread our wings."
From SWA Today
