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An in-Depth History of Southwest Airlines

15Sep

By Salomón Marco7 Comments

Airlines

An in-Depth History of Southwest Airlines

Whilst it's by far the youngest of the "Big Four" US airlines, the history of Southwest Airlines is no less interesting than that of United, or Delta or American Airlines. At least to a certain extent, it's actually more intriguing! Now the largest low-cost carrier in the world, Southwest has had to fight for almost everything it has today - be it actually getting off the ground in the beginning, operating outside of Texas or internationally - often having to sacrifice other parts of their business to do this. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Foundation The story of Southwest Airlines starts with two men: Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, who both had a dream to revolutionize air travel. Herb Kelleher Born into a poor, working-class ...

Herb Kelleher: The King of American Low-Cost Airlines

16Jun

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

History

Herb Kelleher: The King of American Low-Cost Airlines

Today, Southwest Airlines is the undisputed king of American low-cost aviation. Yet without Herb Kelleher, Southwest as we know it today would've never been born. Imagine that! Having founded Southwest Airlines (then called Air Southwest Co) in 1967, Herb would be the driving force in getting the airline off the ground (no pun intended) and growing it into one of the "Big Four" airlines. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Herbert David "Herb" Kelleher would be born on March 12 1931 as the youngest of four children to Irish-American soup factory foreman, Harry Kelleher, and his wife, Ruth. Born in the township of Haddon Heights, just outside Camden, New Jersey, the Kelleher family would soon move to the neighboring Audubon, due to Ha...

Pacific Southwest Airlines: The World’s First Low Cost Airline

12Sep

By Christopher Harrow1 Comment

Airlines

Pacific Southwest Airlines: The World’s First Low Cost Airline

Pacific Southwest Airlines was the world's first low cost airline, paving the way for a new kind of air travel. Due to this, it was one of the most successful and largest airlines of its day. Eventually, PSA and the idea of low cost carriers grew so much that USAir, the precursor to US Airways, bought PSA. Subsequently, USAir tried to curtail PSA's powers by making it a regional airline. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Formation Kenny Friedkin had been interested in aviation since he was eight years old, after going to an air show for the first time in 1923. As with many young boys of his era (and since 1903!), he wanted to be a pilot. At the age of 17, Friedkin financed his own pilot's lessons and gained his pilot's license a few wee...