DALLAS, Jan. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") today reported its December, fourth quarter, and total year preliminary traffic statistics.

The Company flew 10.4 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in December 2016, an increase of 4.2 percent from the 10.0 billion RPMs flown in December 2015. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 4.8 percent to 12.6 billion in December 2016, compared with December 2015 ASMs of 12.1 billion. The December 2016 load factor was 82.6 percent, compared with 83.0 percent in December 2015. Based on these results and an improvement in close-in yields, the Company now estimates its fourth quarter 2016 operating revenue per ASM (RASM) will decline in the 3.0 to 4.0 percent range, as compared with fourth quarter 2015.

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



                          Southwest Airlines Co.

                Preliminary Comparative Traffic Statistics


                                 DECEMBER

                                    2016                          2015     Change
                                    ----                          ----     ------

     Revenue
     passengers
     carried                  10,561,159                    10,105,907              4.5%

     Enplaned
     passengers               12,845,248                    12,371,034              3.8%

     Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                   10,445,407                    10,020,969              4.2%

     Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                   12,645,787                    12,068,272              4.8%

     Load
     factor                        82.6%                        83.0%  (0.4) pts.

     Average
     length
     of
     haul                            989                           992            (0.3)%

     Trips
     flown                       111,765                       108,208              3.3%


                           FOURTH QUARTER

                                    2016                          2015     Change
                                    ----                          ----     ------

     Revenue
     passengers
     carried                  32,006,767                    30,368,454              5.4%

     Enplaned
     passengers               38,779,938                    37,039,737              4.7%

     Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                   31,366,176                    29,727,972              5.5%

     Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                   37,147,109                    35,367,574              5.0%

     Load
     factor                        84.4%                        84.1%   0.3 pts.

     Average
     length
     of
     haul                            980                           979              0.1%

     Trips
     flown                       329,740                       319,178              3.3%


                             TOTAL YEAR

                                    2016                          2015     Change
                                    ----                          ----     ------

     Revenue
     passengers
     carried                 124,719,765                   118,171,211              5.5%

     Enplaned
     passengers              151,740,357                   144,574,882              5.0%

     Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                  124,797,986                   117,499,879              6.2%

     Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                  148,522,051                   140,501,409              5.7%

     Load
     factor                        84.0%                        83.6%   0.4 pts.

     Average
     length
     of
     haul                          1,001                           994              0.7%

     Trips
     flown                     1,311,149                     1,267,358              3.5%

SW-T

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.