Southwest Airlines marks 45th consecutive year of profitability

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly stated (25-Jan-2018) the carrier's "strong" results in the Dec-2017 quarter "capped another year of extraordinary achievements, including 45 straight years of profitability". Mr Kelly said the carrier, which reported net profit of USD1.9 billion in 4Q2018 and annual net profit of USD3.5 billion, experienced "strong profits, cash flow, and financial position" in 2017, enabling the carrier to deploy capital wisely and sustain high returns on invested capital. He said the carrier made significant progress "modernising our fleet, investing in technology and facilities, and returning value in excess of our free cash flow". The carrier returned approximately USD1.6 billion in share repurchases. [more - original PR]