Well G. Dam! SWA considers INTL flying---someday, maybe, hopefully

[General Lee]

Nothing but a big rumor.

AA767AV8TOR

Read on:

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/09/southwest-airlines-to-europe-s.html

Southwest Airlines to Europe, South America? Not true, Southwest says

9:40 AM Wed, Sep 16, 2009

Terry Maxon/Reporter

Air Transport World has quite a scoop Wednesday out of Beijing, quoting a Southwest Airlines manager as saying the carrier has plans to start service to Europe and South America.

To quote its online story, which also showed up as the number one item on the Air Transport Association's daily SmartBrief collection of Wednesday's media stories:

"Southwest Airlines plans to open international routes to Europe and South America, although so far there is 'no timetable' for the move, Director-Network Strategic Planning Lee Lipton told ATWOnline at the World Route Development Forum in Beijing.

But there's a problem. A Southwest spokesman says unequivocably that "there's no truth to it. Lee Lipton was very surprised to read it. He had no discussion with that reporter. He's never said those things."

Well, dang. As a reporter, one wonders about the disconnect. The Air Transport World certainly didn't make it all up. Maybe something was said as a hypothetical, and it became a certainty in the story.

Like Sen. Snort said in a long ago "Grin and Bear It" comic strip: "Yeah, I said it, but not in headlines that big!"

UPDATE: Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins elaborated on the story and Southwest's intentions this afternoon.

"Flying long-haul, meaning beyond Canada, Mexico, Caribbean or Hawaii, does not fit into our current plans, and we are not actively considering it at all," Hawkins said.

It could happen someday," he added. "But I think there will be others doing so long before we even seriously contemplate such an operation."

Hawkins said Southwest is taking a market-based approach to its international strategy.

"That means we are studying opportunities in many parts of the world in much the same way we do in the U.S.," he said.

After Southwest decides if it wants to get into a market, the next question is whether it should do the flying itself or through a partner.

"For now, the only opportunities we are considering for our own flying are those that can be reached -- and make sense -- with our current fleet of 737s," he said.

Southwest will prioritize potential markets from a number of factors, such as how much revenue the markets might bring, how they tie into Southwest's domestic strategy and how easy they can be accessed.

"Given how early we are at developing our codeshares, the 'ease of access' question is a big one for any place outside North America, even though we expect that to be a partnership too," Hawkins said.

Southwest chairman, president and CEO Gary Kelly has been saying that Southwest may begin its own international service as early as 2011, while adding that is in no way certain.

Back in February, Kelly talked to us about Southwest's intent to fly its own airplanes on international routes. Said Kelly:

"I would guess it's within five years. But we have a long way to go before we'll be ready to make that judgment.

"There are just some markets that don't make sense for us. Either the technology required to serve a market or the business needs of that market are such that it doesn't fit our operating style, i.e. it's a smaller airplane or a bigger airplane. Right now, we don't want to deviate from our single aircraft type.

"Then there are other market dynamics, for example, in the Caribbean or could be Mexico or Canada for that matter, where ... Allegiant Air for example flies several times per week between city pairs. Well, that's not Southwest Airlines.

"We just have to continue to search for markets that meet our operating style, where we can be profitable and at the same time simultaneously we are trying to evolve our operating style so we are more flexible and can do more things."

Ooooooooh SNAP!


Bye Bye----General Lee

 

[Patriot328]

it would be bit more than an FOM update before the let ya'll saddle up for EHAM, oh sorry, that's Amsterdam.

I wonder how fast they could taxi to the gate after clearing 18R. They'd probably get airborne again.

 

[Headfake14]

This has been talked about, wrote about, and kicked around for the last 3 years. What rock did you just crawl out from under?

...easy Tiger. I never heard or read about it...nor did any SWA buddies mention it in the past.

What I'm saying is...why would ANY carrier say..."...we are THINKING about doing this...". Especially something that big. Anyone would say they are thinking about changing snacks, on-board internet, uniform refresh. But to come out and say, "HEY, attention competition, we are thinking about someday flying twin isles!"....someone probably overheard a conversation and shop talk.

 

[ultrarunner]

Europe? South America? You've got to kidding!!! We're talking about an airline based in Texas that doesn't even fly to Mexico.

Texas IS Mexico!

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Tell that to the Mexicans that come to Texas from Mexico. I am sure they would disagree with you.

 

[Tripower455]

The senior cadre of SWA pilots will be like a teenage goofballs first time trying to fly 787's int'l. The junior SWA pilot cadre with glass and int'l experience will compensate nicely for grandpa's lacking.... (oops..did I say that outloud)

It'll be just like the Blueballers compensating for the RDs back in '91.......... Right GL? :beer:

 

[vtwo]

Why Expand SWA

Why expand Swa?
They have already Purchased the ATA certificate. It came with LGA slots,
and also this Nice little thing called MNPS, ETOPS for the 737.
They just need to ramp up the training and finish the proving runs.
Or they Just sign another code Share and let others worry about all those pesky rules and such.
While their Bottom Line Increases the Size of the company does not. Either way they win.
The employee's are last. Oh and what is to stop them from Code Sharing with Commuter airline or 2 as long as their at it. They already did it once.

 

[XR650R]

Disregard... SWA published a correction in on their internal employee website that stated the long range international flying is NOT being considered at this point....wimps

 

[vtwo]

AH, the old Misdirection play,
Sound like they had an internal leak with the playbook and now come damage control. Zig then Zag, Which way are we going to go?

 

[jhill]

09-17-09 | Clarification on International Plans
An industry trade publication recently misstated that Southwest was targeting Europe and South America. So we wanted to set the record straight: Southwest Airlines does not have any plans to fly distant, longhaul international flights at this time or in the near future. Our immediate focus is on developing our previously announced codeshare partnerships with WestJet and Volaris, and we have expressed interest in exploring near-international markets, including Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean, with our own fleet. While we can’t rule out the possibility in the future, we are not actively considering service to distant international markets with our own aircraft.