Southwest Airlines Reports September Traffic

DALLAS, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. announced today that the Company flew 5.6 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in September 2007, an 8.6 percent increase from the 5.2 billion RPMs flown in September 2006. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 7.8 percent to 8.3 billion from the September 2006 level of 7.7 billion. The load factor for the month was 67.7 percent, compared to 67.2 percent for the same period last year.

For the third quarter 2007, Southwest flew 19.7 billion RPMs, compared to the 17.8 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2006, an increase of 10.8 percent. Available seat miles increased 8.2 percent to 25.7 billion from the third quarter 2006 level of 23.8 billion. The third quarter 2007 load factor was 76.5 percent, compared to 74.7 percent for the same period last year.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2007, Southwest flew 54.8 billion RPMs, compared to the 50.9 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2006, an increase of 7.7 percent. Available seat miles increased 8.2 percent to 74.4 billion from the 2006 level of 68.7 billion. The year-to-date load factor was 73.7 percent, compared to 74.0 percent for the same period last year.

This press release, as well as past releases on Southwest, are available online at http://www.southwest.com/?src=IR_100307

                            SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
                       PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC
                                  STATISTICS


                                                       SEPTEMBER

                                              2007           2006      CHANGE


           Revenue passengers carried       6,985,944      6,558,623    6.5 %

           Enplaned passengers              7,979,454      7,458,995    7.0 %

           Revenue passenger miles (000)    5,640,978      5,196,423    8.6 %

           Available seat miles (000)       8,336,524      7,732,154    7.8 %

           Load factor                          67.7%          67.2%  0.5 pts.

           Average length of haul                 807            792    1.9 %

           Trips flown                         96,099         90,527    6.2 %



                                                     THIRD QUARTER

                                             2007           2006       CHANGE


           Revenue passengers carried      23,553,366     21,558,982    9.3 %

           Enplaned passengers             27,242,613     24,880,646    9.5 %

           Revenue passenger miles (000)   19,685,690     17,767,128   10.8 %

           Available seat miles (000)      25,738,775     23,784,615    8.2 %

           Load factor                          76.5%          74.7%  1.8 pts.

           Average length of haul                 836            824    1.5 %

           Trips flown                        297,782        279,032    6.7 %



                                                     YEAR-TO-DATE

                                              2007           2006      CHANGE


           Revenue passengers carried      66,956,318     62,757,726    6.7 %

           Enplaned passengers             77,035,110     72,202,988    6.7 %

           Revenue passenger miles (000)   54,813,530     50,891,473    7.7 %

           Available seat miles (000)      74,399,826     68,748,057    8.2 %

           Load factor                          73.7%          74.0% (0.3)pts.

           Average length of haul                 819            811    1.0 %

           Trips flown                        865,329        812,428    6.5 %