New Directions at Southwest

Southwest Airlines announced this week that it has requested leases on two gates at Washington Dulles International Airport. So much for the secondary airport model in a little more than a year, Southwest has added Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Denver to their route structure. Now Dulles, a major international airport and one that lies some 60 miles from Baltimore-Washington International, where Southwest dominates with some 160 flights a day. Two observations 1) This is another arrow in the quiver for Dulles, which is quickly becoming the predominant airport force in the Baltimore-Washington region, domestically and internationally. 2) The Southwest model is evolving rapidly. One has to wonder, as Delta's pilots threaten to strike and perhaps kill an airline, is Atlanta next? Comments Southwest CEO Gary Kelly: the opportunities to grow our famous Southwest Low Fare leadership within the United States are abundant." So it would seem. Thanks for reading.