The airline industry is currently in the middle of a marathon sprint when it comes to conferences. I just touched down in NYC on Friday after the CAPA US Summit and then will be jetting off to Brazil for the IATA AGM.
And there are also the investor conferences, such as the Bernstein one this past week. Out of the investor conference came several headlines, like United CEO Scott Kirby blasting the idea of merging with JetBlue and describing such a move as “idiotic.” Another thing that stood out is that it seems like Southwest is inching closer to debuting long-haul international flights.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said at the investor conferences that the carrier would likely “delve into long-haul international flying.” He said if Southwest were to do so, it would likely only operate a dozen long-haul routes at most. “We don’t have to become Delta, United, or American,” he said.
Jordan also hinted that the carrier’s base in Baltimore would be a “natural popping off point.” If Southwest makes a Europe debut, it would add another competitor to the market, which is largely dominated by the Big 3 (American, Delta, and United). It would also be the latest drastic shift to Southwest’s business model, which has focused on domestic routes and short-haul international ones to Latin America and the Caribbean.
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