DALLAS, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines and its 103 Raleigh-Durham Employees today are celebrating the airline's tenth year of service at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).

"Southwest Airlines is proud to salute its RDU Employees for ten wonderful years," said Southwest Airlines' Station Leader Greg Golden. "The Employees exemplify the Southwest Spirit everyday while serving the people of North Carolina."

Raleigh-Durham (RDU) statistics:

• Southwest began service in RDU on June 6, 1999, with 12 daily nonstop departures to five cities: Baltimore/Washington, Chicago Midway, Nashville, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.
• Raleigh-Durham was the 53rd station to open its doors in the Southwest Airlines system.
• Southwest currently offers 33 daily nonstop departures to ten cities with connecting service to 45 cities.
• RDU-based Employees: 103
• In 2008, Southwest Airlines served nearly two million passengers at RDU.
• Southwest is the preferred airline for Raleigh-Durham Customers, with a greater market share (21 percent) than any other mainline carrier as of the fourth quarter of 2008.

Southwest Airlines Employees celebrated with a patriotic themed party. Employees and Customers waved the American Flag high while Southwest Airlines donated canned food items and ten roundtrip tickets to the USO (United Service Organizations). Southwest Airlines used the event as a way to support and celebrate the men and women who are fighting for our Freedoms. The carrier will also facilitate "gate games" where Employees will ask history trivia questions and Customers will have the chance to win some red, white, and blue prizes! Southwest Airlines will also host a "Push-Up Contest" for Customers to win two roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines. Follow @SouthwestAir on Twitter to find out about the exciting events going on throughout the day. Southwest Airlines also announced a special, discounted DING! fare for RDU Customers via the fare alert application available at southwest.com.

After almost 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation's leading low-fare carrier, is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest offers all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states, with service beginning to New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, and Milwaukee later this year. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines

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