At Southwest Airlines, we’ve looked forward to our 50th Anniversary for a long time. And while our 50th year looked nothing like we anticipated due to a global pandemic, throughout 2021 we have still celebrated this milestone in appropriate and cost-conscious ways with Employees, Customers, and Partners. As we approach the end of 2021, it’s hard to believe our 50th year is already coming to a close. One chapter of our Company history is ending as we, full of hope and resilience, turn the page to our next chapter.
We’ve experienced some amazing wins and faced some tough challenges in our first half-century. I firmly believe that understanding where we’ve come from and what we’ve been through helps us prepare for the future. One final way we are celebrating our milestone anniversary this year is by releasing a one-of-a-kind commemorative history book: 50 Years. One Heart. A History of Southwest in 50 Objects. This unique coffee-table book brings our Company’s colorful story and our corporate archives to life through beautiful photographs and moments from our rich history.
Through the process of working on this book with many who started at Southwest in the very beginning (or close to it), I’ve been reinvigorated with a fresh sense of who we are as a Company and what we value. Based on my own Southwest experiences and in hearing stories directly from the People that lived them, it’s clear to me that our People-first mentality and disruptive business model are still revolutionary—often imitated but never duplicated.
It has been a highlight of my career to play a part in honoring Southwest Airlines’ golden year. I love sharing our stories—an important part of our Heart—with our dedicated People, key Partners, and loyal Customers. Despite any challenges we face, our future feels bright as we look to the Company’s next 50 years and beyond. As we release 50 Years. One Heart., my hope is that this book inspires all who read it to remember and celebrate the past while looking to the future with unwavering optimism.
Happy reading, and cheers to 50 years!
XOXO,
