Southwest Airlines To Close Down 2 Crew Bases in Texas & Florida. Here Are the Details

Southwest Airlines continues its downsizing efforts. The latest reports suggest that two crew bases have been closed in both Texas and Florida. Let’s look at the details.

Southwest Airlines Closes Texas & Florida Bases

Per UPI, Southwest Airlines has announced the closure of two flight attendant sites in Florida and Texas as part of a major cost-cutting initiative. The verdict was reached on Tuesday, March 4.

“We are consolidating our flight attendant satellite bases into our primary 12 base cities as we work to further maximize our operational efficiency and reliability,” Southwest Airlines spokesperson Chris Perry told The Dallas Morning News in a statement.

According to a document from the flight attendant union, the airline will close satellite bases at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.

“While the Company is within its rights to make this decision, it is not without impact on Flight Attendants,” said TWU Local 556 President Bill Bernal in a statement to the outlet.

The company established the bases in 2018, and the 280 impacted flight attendants can now transfer to one of its 12 main bases.

On Tuesday, a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing heard evidence from aviation industry professionals about how the nation’s air traffic control system is outdated and understaffed, which they say jeopardizes public safety.

Southwest Airlines and union leaders, meanwhile, agreed to push the deadline back one month to July 1 to close the so-called satellite bases for flight attendants but not pilots. “This allows affected Members more time to make arrangements for this change in their professional and personal lives,” Bernal said.

Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, Texas, has struggled with an oversupplied U.S. market, growing costs, and other concerns with Boeing, its only aircraft supplier.

The Airline Previously Eliminated 1,750 Corporate Jobs

Before announcing these latest closures, the carrier revealed that it had eliminated 1,750 corporate jobs, or 15% of its total workforce, in another cost-cutting effort.

“This decision is unprecedented in our 53-year history, and change requires that we make difficult decisions,” said CEO Bob Jordan in a company statement. “We are at a pivotal moment as we transform Southwest Airlines into a leaner, faster, and more agile organization.”

The layoffs will save Southwest more than $500 million over the next two years. Costs associated with job losses, including severance benefits, will total between $60 million and $80 million.

In addition to layoffs, Southwest has suspended hiring and its internship program. Future team-building “rallies,” a 40-year tradition at the company, have been postponed, and unproductive routes have been eliminated.

Making such a decision was unusual for Southwest, which boasted in 2021 that the airline had never laid off staff since its inception. However, layoffs occurred when the firm removed 300 pilots and flight attendants from its roster late last year.

The employment losses are part of a bigger strategy to increase earnings. After doing business in the same way for 50 years, Southwest Airlines adopted a risky plan to increase market share. According to Jordan, today’s travelers have changed their traveling habits, and it’s time for airlines to adapt.

Southwest’s “Even Better” transformation strategy involves eliminating the company’s long-standing open seating policy. Instead, the airline is offering assigned seats and additional legroom alternatives, which will result in higher ticket prices. Overnight flights will also be added to the program.

“Customers are just taking fewer short haul trips today. They’re flying longer, and when they fly longer, the importance of an assigned seat goes up,” Jordan said last year, as reported by CNBC.

Fortunately, travelers will still be able to benefit from Southwest’s two free checked bags policy. According to company research, the “bags fly free” promotion is the most popular reason people fly Southwest.