Southwest Airlines Celebrates 25 Years of 'LUV' in Chicago

DALLAS, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines today is celebrating the carrier's 25th Anniversary of service at Chicago Midway International Airport.  To commemorate the occasion, Southwest is celebrating with its Employees and Customers at the Chicago Midway International Airport, complete with the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department band, decorations, games, prizes, and a media event.  

Media Event Details:

• When:  Wednesday, March 17 at 11 a.m. CDT
• Where:  Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter, Chicago Midway International Airport
• What:  Officials from Southwest Airlines and Chicago Midway International Airport will give remarks, followed by a presentation from Southwest to the Airport.    
• Media should arrive at 10:45 a.m. CDT to the Southwest Ticket Counter.
• Media Contact:  Patty Kryscha, Southwest Airlines, c: 312-576-7320.  

"Southwest Airlines has been bringing our wonderful brand of low fares and legendary Customer Service to the Windy City for 25 years," said Southwest's Chicago Midway Station Leader James Story.  "We have a lot of people to thank for that, including our hard-working local Employees, our loyal Customers, the city of Chicago, and our friends at the Chicago Midway International Airport who have all been excellent partners and very supportive of our growth and service over the years."  

"We are pleased to celebrate a 25-year partnership between Southwest Airlines and Midway International Airport," said Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Aviation.  "Midway's success as the premier point-to-point, mid-size airport in the country would not be possible without Southwest's commitment to the City of Chicago and its passengers."

Southwest Employees are also celebrating the 25th Anniversary in Chicago by becoming "blanketeers" for the day and creating dozens of blankets to donate to Project Linus, a nonprofit organization "that provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans."  The airline's Employees proudly Share the Spirit through volunteering in the communities where they work and live.

Southwest Airlines launched service at Chicago Midway on March 17, 1985, with eight daily nonstop flights to St. Louis, which is also celebrating its 25th Anniversary today.  Southwest is the largest carrier at Chicago Midway, and the third largest carrier in Chicago, with 198 daily flights to 50 nonstop destinations, as of March 2010.  Chicago was the 21st city to join Southwest's system, and is now the second busiest city in the airline's 68-city network.  Southwest is the Low-Fare Leader out of Chicago with an average one-way fare of $115 (as of the third quarter of 2009).  

After 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience, with all leather seats, and all Boeing 737 jets.  Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, currently serving 68 cities in 35 states (Southwest will begin service to Panama City Beach, Florida, on May 23).  Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide. 

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines