Company Profitability Cited For Pay Boost

The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) received official notice Thursday from the company that the negotiated profitability-based raise in the pilots' contract has earned them a 3 percent raise for 2010.  Originally valued during contract negotiations as a likely zero percent raise due to the economy and Company performance at the time, this wage increase arrives as a minor surprise and a sign of a changing economic climate.

"This raise is good news for both our pilot group and Southwest Airlines," said SWAPA president Capt. Carl Kuwitzky in a statement. "The pilots have been willing to tie our pay increases to the success of Southwest Airlines. Our pilots showed great leadership and confidence in our Company and we are excited about a future with an improving economy which allows our Company to maintain its profitability. The pilots, like all Southwest employees, hope that positive announcements such as the one from the Company today signal an end to difficult times and portend a bright, growth-filled future ahead."

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 5,900 pilots of Southwest Airlines.

FMI: www.swapa.org, www.southwest.com