DALLAS, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") today reported its August and year-to-date preliminary traffic statistics. The Company flew 10.3 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in August 2015, a 7.5 percent increase from 9.6 billion RPMs flown in August 2014. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 7.6 percent to 12.1 billion in August 2015, compared with the August 2014 level of 11.3 billion. The August 2015 load factor was 85.4 percent, compared with 85.5 percent in August 2014. Based on results thus far in third quarter 2015 and current trends, the Company continues to estimate its third quarter 2015 operating revenue per ASM (RASM) will decrease approximately 1.0 percent, compared with third quarter 2014.

For the first eight months of 2015, the Company flew 78.6 billion RPMs, compared with 73.0 billion RPMs flown for the same period in 2014, an increase of 7.6 percent. Year-to-date ASMs increased 6.7 percent to a level of 94.0 billion, compared with 88.1 billion for the same period in 2014. The year-to-date load factor was 83.6 percent, compared with 82.9 percent for the same period in 2014.

This release, as well as past news releases about Southwest Airlines Co., is available online at Southwest.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to the Company's financial outlook and projected results of operations. These statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) changes in demand for the Company's services and other changes in consumer behavior; (ii) the impact of economic conditions, fuel prices, actions of competitors (including without limitation pricing, scheduling, and capacity decisions and consolidation and alliance activities), and other factors beyond the Company's control, on the Company's business decisions, plans, and strategies; (iii) changes in fuel prices; (iv) the Company's ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives; (v) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions related to the Company's operations; and (vi) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.



                          Southwest Airlines Co.

                Preliminary Comparative Traffic Statistics


                                  AUGUST
                                  ------

                                     2015                        2014     Change
                                     ----                        ----     ------

    Revenue
     passengers
     carried                   10,095,376                   9,442,224            6.9%

    Enplaned
     passengers                12,600,993                  11,890,205            6.0%

    Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                    10,342,510                   9,622,324            7.5%

     Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                    12,105,854                  11,252,402            7.6%

    Load
     factor                         85.4%                      85.5%  (0.1) pts.

    Average
     length
     of haul                        1,024                       1,019            0.5%

    Trips
     flown                        108,817                     106,663            2.0%


                                   YEAR-TO-DATE
                                   ------------

                                         2015         2014    Change
                                         ----         ----    ------

    Revenue passengers carried     78,381,410   73,964,223           6.0%

    Enplaned passengers            95,998,728   91,145,675           5.3%

    Revenue passenger miles (000s) 78,564,952   73,000,233           7.6%

    Available seat miles (000s)    94,000,207   88,082,240           6.7%

    Load factor                         83.6%       82.9%  0.7 pts.

    Average length of haul              1,002          987           1.5%

    Trips flown                       846,713      846,743             -%

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.