SWA growing and growing....

[MLBWINGBORN]

Southwest Adds N485WN to Fleet Posted on Fri, 09/24/04 00:00 The Company accepted our 36th new aircraft delivery of the year, and the fourth of September, when N485WN was added to the fleet on Wednesday. When combined with recent -200 retirements, our fleet stands at 415 aircraft, with 11 deliveries remaining for the year. Since January 1, we have added 36 -700s to our expanding fleet and retired nine -200s, for a net gain of 27 aircraft. By the end of the year, our 11 additional deliveries and nine planned -200 retirements will put our fleet at 417. For 2005, we have 34 scheduled deliveries and five -200 retirements, which would place our fleet at 446 by the end of the year.

Mike

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Hey that's great news!

Where is Southwest going to deploy those new jets next year? I know SWA decided against a new domicile with the new schedule optimization coming online in October.

My guess is BWI. Maybe a few at OAK. Any slated for MDW?

 

[kelbill]

Just got back from a 3 day trip and had the pleasure of flying 485WN for a single leg. Still had the new plane smell to it. As for where SWA plans on utilizing the new a/c next year, I'll let the brainiacs at HQ decide. They do a pretty good job. Rumor for a while was that BWI was going to get bigger by a large margin, so East Coast flying is sure to play a large role. Good luck again to all trying to get here.

 

[SWA/FO]

Philly

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Philly

In about 3-6 months.......

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

The word is that BWI then PHL will grow in huge leaps..

They keep calling BWI the "Beast of the East"..

As a crew base BWI is supposed to double in the next 12 to 18 months.

Mike

 

[fox3]

....and the stock's going down, down, down??????

 

[SWAInflt]

A couple months ago in recurrent, they told us we will begin moving into the new "A" Concourse facilities in BWI sometime in March 2005. Once completed, we will have 11 additional gates for a total of 26. Max utilization is usually around 10 flights per gate. I'll let y'all do the math.

 

[SWAdude]

The word is that BWI then PHL will grow in huge leaps..

They keep calling BWI the "Beast of the East"..

As a crew base BWI is supposed to double in the next 12 to 18 months.

Mike

I really doubt that it will grow that much. That would mean that there would have to be an addition of 22 to 33 new crews each month and every month. That would mean we would have to hire 800 pilots in that time period and every one of them based in BWI.

I have seen strange things happen...but I find that very doubtful.

SWAdude

 

[flint4xx]

What's with the negative vibes Moriarty...

 

[Russ]

"What's with the negative vibes Moriarty"

Its killing me, was that from Kelly's Heroes?

 

[waitin]

Yep, Kelly's Heros

"Positive waves, baby"

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

You are right about the numbers.

One of the thoughts that I had was a re-adjustment of staffing numbers across the system with a push towards BWI.
This plus new hires would be a big increase in staffing.

The other thing I thought about is at what point did it start growing?"Perhapes the rumor would have been closer to the truth if those spreading would have said"will have doubled by_______".

Again..Whats heard around is almost always alot of fiction based on a few facts..

That makes it a rumor.

Just trying to spread a few good "vibes" man.

Mike

 

[RVR300]

I'm guessing a big BWI build up, and then a PHL base (with the bulk of the vacancy bid coming from BWI) when the new terminal in PHL becomes available .

I'm betting that's why the new base has been delayed until the end of 2005.

 

[SWAdude]

I think there are plenty of "good vibes" out there.

Didn't think I was being negative...just realistic.

BWI will grow.

PHL has great potential as well as the entire SWA system.

29 net new aircraft (at least) next year.

500 new hires next year(at least).

I just think it to be unrealistic to think that the entire growth strategy is going out of BWI. There are six other bases out there that would like some growth also. OAK will have a net four gate gain next year. PHX has an additional terminal opening next year. Who knows what can happen with ATA and MDW.

Its all good news fortunately.

Its sad that our industry is in such a depressed state that a little realistic spin on a rumor has to be taken negatively.

SWAdude

 

[Flying Colors]

I was at the AIR INC job Fair in DC. I have no doubt that SWA will continue to grow, Lidsey Lang represeated you guys with her blow up SWA 737 hat and stated that SWA plans to be double its size by 2012 and hire 500 pilots per year for the next 5 years.
Definitely one of the places to be right now.

 

[PTinbound]

I just had an overnight in ELP, and while I was in the jetway fumbling for my 10-7 to find the jetway code and my laptop was falling out of the jetway opening, my captain was talking to this 2200 # ops agent there. He says there's this dude on the BOD who lives there and has been going to the big D three times a week lately, so I'm convinced something's brewing. He alluded to "there's another PHL out there somewhere". 2+2=4, and I also know that we just got some kind of $350 cash liquidity somehow, and also Delta just announced a big pullout in DFW.
I'm thinking PHL was somewhat defensive as we wouldn't want JetBlue to get a big foothold there, and we sure wouldn't want them to get 15-20 gates in DFW in our back yard either. Just some thoughts from a 6 month FO... and three cheers for a well padded laptop case because my baby works fine after a 15 foot drop!

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

And I thought I was the only one that fumbled with the door codes..Ive been banging on the door for almost three years now.LOL

I feel much better now..Thank you.

Mike