Southwest Airlines unveils first international routes
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Southwest Airlines, the world’s third biggest carrier in terms of passenger traffic, has revealed it first ever international destinations.
From July 2014, the airline will start flying to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Jamaica and the Bahamas, as it integrates the services of AirTran Airways into its network.
Flights to Aruba and the Jamaican city of Montego Bay will operate from both Atlanta and Orlando, while Aruba, Montego Bay and the Bahaman capital Nassau will also be served from Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
“Beginning July 1, 2014, ‘Bags Fly Free’ beyond US borders to Aruba, the Bahamas, and Jamaica,” Gary Kelly, Southwest’s chairman, president & CEO said at a press conference in Dallas, in reference to the airline’s free checked baggage policy.
“As our customers seamlessly click through southwest.com to make these historic bookings today, our people celebrate the final lap in the journey to make possible our international future,” he added.
AirTran Airways will continue to operate some of the Caribbean services during 2014, but by the end of the year Southwest expects to take over all international routes, including those to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Headquartered in Dallas, Southwest Airlines launched in 1971 and has since grown to become one of the world’s biggest airlines. Operating a fleet of Boeing 737s, it now operates a widespread domestic network covering 89 US destinations in 42 states, and carried more than 133 million passengers in 2013. It acquired Atlanta-based low-cost carrier AirTran in May 2011.
“Southwest Airlines democratised the sky from our first flights more than four decades ago,” said Kelly. “Today’s milestone enables us to reach new territory, new customers, and build upon a four decade foundation of doing right by the travellers who trust our value and our people.”
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