Southwest Airlines Announces Expansion Plans for Maintenance Facility at Orlando International Airport

Southwest Airlines® (NYSE: LUV) today announced it is investing $9.5 million in a renovation and expansion project for the carrier's Maintenance Hangar and Parts Stores Facility at Orlando's International Airport. This project and the pending long-term hangar lease agreement with Greater Orlando Aviation Administration (GOAA) confirms Southwest's commitment to the Orlando International Airport and its Maintenance and Parts operation. 

"Orlando is an important market for Southwest Airlines," said Pete Houghton, Southwest Airlines' Senior Manager of Airport Affairs. "The Maintenance Hangar and Parts Stores Facility is a $9.5 million investment in our operation, showing our long-term commitment to this market and the Greater Orlando Aviation Administration."

Renovation work is underway on Southwest's current hangar, including fresh paint; new administrative offices; a production suite; additional engine storage; and a larger, improved sheet metal shop. Plans are in the design phase for an additional 20,000-square-foot stores facility.

Southwest is proud of its presence in Orlando, and strives to provide service options that benefit the local Orlando Customer, as well as the more than 8.6 million travelers who visit the Orlando area via the carrier each year. As the largest carrier in Orlando based on daily departures, Southwest offers more than 100 daily flights to more than 40 destinations. Southwest recently announced new nonstop service to Dallas Love Field, the carrier's home base, with three daily nonstop flights.

With operations in eight airports* across the state, more than 3,700 Southwest Employees call Florida home, with more than 2,800 of those Employees locally-based in Orlando. 

 *Southwest Airlines proudly serves eight Florida airports: Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Ft. Myers (RSW), Jacksonville (JAX), Orlando (MCO), Tampa Bay (TPA), Panama City Beach (ECP), West Palm Beach (PBI), and Pensacola (PNS). For city-specific service and employment numbers, visit our newsroom at swamedia.com.

To book your low fare, visit Southwest.com.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 47,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest operates more than 3,600 flights a day, serving 94 destinations across the United States and six additional countries. Southwest service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, begins on June 7, 2015. Service to Belize City, Belize, begins Oct. 15, 2015, and Liberia, Costa Rica, on Nov. 1, 2015, and both routes are subject to foreign government approval.

Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent data, Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The Company operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, the majority of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate-to-gate connectivity while over the United States. That connectivity enables Customers to use their personal devices to access streaming music provided by Beats Music or to view video on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV compliments of our Valued Partners. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply) to everyone, and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply. In 2014, the airline proudly unveiled a bold new look: Heart. The new aircraft livery, airport experience, and logo, showcase the dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic whenever the carrier enters new markets. With 42 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2014 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at SouthwestOneReport.com.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

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