Southwest Airlines Reports July Traffic

DALLAS, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co.
(NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 6.9 billion revenue
passenger miles (RPMs) in July 2008, a 2.3 percent decrease from the 7.0
billion RPMs flown in July 2007. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 4.3
percent to 9.0 billion from the July 2007 level of 8.7 billion. The load
factor for the month was 76.3 percent, compared to 81.4 percent for the same
period last year.
For the seven months ended July 31, 2008, Southwest flew 44.3 billion
RPMs, compared to the 42.2 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2007,
an increase of 5.0 percent. Available seat miles increased 5.7 percent to
60.6 billion from the 2007 level of 57.3 billion. The year-to-date load
factor was 73.1 percent, compared to 73.6 percent for the same period last
year.
This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available
online at http://www.southwest.com/?src=INVRINVJLTR000000080805.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS

JULY

2008 2007 CHANGE

Revenue passengers carried 8,066,608 8,294,350 (2.7)%

Enplaned passengers 9,362,923 9,657,817 (3.1)%

Revenue passenger miles (000) 6,885,268 7,049,203 (2.3)%

Available seat miles (000) 9,028,366 8,655,534 4.3%

Load factor 76.3% 81.4% (5.1) pts.

Average length of haul 854 850 0.5%

Trips flown 103,157 100,276 2.9%

YEAR-TO-DATE

2008 2007 CHANGE

Revenue passengers carried 53,564,771 51,697,302 3.6%

Enplaned passengers 61,622,495 59,450,314 3.7%

Revenue passenger miles (000) 44,288,968 42,177,042 5.0%

Available seat miles (000) 60,556,888 57,316,586 5.7%

Load factor 73.1% 73.6% (0.5) pts.

Average length of haul 827 816 1.3%

Trips flown 701,379 667,823 5.0%

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

Investor Relations of Southwest Airlines Co., +1-214-792-4415