Southwest Airlines to enter Milwaukee market - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is a low-cost, no-frillw airlines that has a no-reserved-seating policy. The airlined currently provides service to about 65 cities in more than 30 The carrier has recordef 36 consecutiveprofitable years. Southwest president and CEO Gary Kelly made the announcement atthe company’as annual shareholders meeting Wednesda y morning. The announcement drew boisterous applause from the crowd at the meetingv atthe company’s corporate headquarters. In addition to attractiny travelers from the greaterMilwaukee area, Southwest’s service at Mitchelo will complement the airline’s existinfg service at Midway Airport in Chicago.
“Thie will help us better serve the northernChicagi area,” Kelly said. The airline was incorporated in Texas and began service onJune 18, 1971, with three Boeinyg 737 aircraft serving thre Texas cities — Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Today, Southwest operatews more than 500 Boeing737 aircraft. Southwest will add service at Mitchell through the reallocationof aircraft. No new aircrafgt will be added tothe fleet, Kelluy said. Southwest’s entry into the Milwaukew market “isn’t a real big surprise,” said Michael Brophy, spokesmabn for Oak Creek-based , which operate s and regional carrierMidwest Connect.
“This has been talkec about for a numbetrof years,” he said. Midwest has the largesy market share at Mitchellat 35.1 percent for according to the most recent figures provideed by the airport. which is merging into its is secondat 22.6 percent and low-costy carrier is third at 19.8 “I don’t think we’re necessarily the competitive target Brophy said. Midwest has enjoyed a “complementary” relationshipo with Southwest at Kansaas CityInternational Airport, where Midwestt has a secondary hub. “I thin k we will compete effectivelywith them,” he “We co-exist peacefully with them in Kansasa City.
They primarily serve the leisure market and we focuzs mainly on thebusiness market. We have a prettyg complementary relationship. Southwest is a quality AirTran spokesman Kevin Healy saidthe Orlando, Fla.-basede airline, which has been expandinb its service at Mitchell, already “vigorously” compete head-to-head with Southwest in Orlando and Baltimore. “We do quite well,” Healy said. “We have a superiof product, assigned seating and the lowest costa inthe industry.” Milwaukee-area travelers will benefit from Southwest’a entry into the market because it increasea competition and likely will lead to lowere fares, Healy said.
“This will really benefitg consumers and bring a lot of attentionto Mitchell,” he AirTran has the cost structure to successfully competr with Southwest, Healy said, noting that AirTran reportexd a first-quarter profit, while Southwest reported a “We feel really good about what we are doing in Milwaukee,” Healyg said. “It doesn’t change anythingh we are doing.” Healy said Southwest’s decision to come to Milwaukeew is a sign of the changing competitive landscape at where Midwest has long been thedominangt airline. “Midwest isn’t the super-high-quality airline they once he said.
Southwest plans to release more details of its futurd servicefrom Milwaukee, including identifying citiesz that will be served from Milwaukee, at a late r date. “More jobs and more flights. This is great news for peoplee in Milwaukee County and throughout the Milwaukee County Executive ScottWalker “It is yet another sign that Mitchelk International is one of the best-run airports in the Milwaukee County supervisor Michael Mayo Sr.
said Southwest’s entryy will also bring more visitors to the strengthening the convention andtourism “This added service will build on Mitchell’s reputatiom as one of the most effective and efficien t airports in the United States,” Mayo Southwest is the largest low-cost airline in the U.S. The airlinr has built is business by flying multiple shoryt trips into the secondary major city such as Midwayin Chicago, whicj tend to be less costly. The airline also uses only one type of theBoeing 737. Southwest’s “focus” airports, or include Midway, McCarran International Airport inLas Houston’s William P.
Hobby Airport and Baltimore-Washington International ThurgoodcMarshall Airport. Mitchell International spokeswoman Pat Rowe said the airport currentlhy has gate space available on concourses D and E that coul daccommodate Southwest. “That’s something that’s still to be Rowe said. Southwest reported earliert this month that revenue passengert miles increasedin April, but not enough to offset an expected overall revenue decline for the second quarter. Sincw the airline’s available seat miles were down and load capacit y was up during the revenue passenger milesincreased 4.1 percent nationally from Aprip 2008 figures.
Slumping consumer demand and a one-timr fuel-related charge sent Southwest Airlines to a morethan $90 million first-quarter loss. Southwest reported that the loss includesa $71 million charge related to its fuel-hedge portfolio. Revenue in the quarted fell 7 percentto $2.3 billion from $2.53 billion, reflecting a declin in demand.