Southwest Airlines partners with National Forest Foundation to plant 50,000 trees to mark its 50th Anniversary

Carrier donates to National Forest Foundation and launches the Southwest Airlines One Report in the spirit of citizenship

DALLAS, TEXAS, 2021-May-08 — /Travel PR News/ — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the “Company”) announced today (May 6, 2021) it has donated to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) in honor of the Company’s 50th Anniversary. To commemorate this special occasion, Southwest® is working with NFF to plant 1,000 trees for each of the carrier’s 50 years of service. The 50,000 trees will be will be planted throughout California, Georgia, and Oregon, in an effort to help support wildfire recovery, restore native ecosystems, improve water and air quality, and reduce soil erosion. This $50,000 donation is being funded through the Southwest Airlines Foundation, a corporate advised fund housed within the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Protecting the Planet for future generations is important to Southwest, and the Company encourages Employees and Customers to support these efforts by visiting swa.is/treeplanting. For every dollar donated to the NFF, the organization will plant one tree—supporting efforts to conserve the nation’s forest, watersheds, wildlife, and recreation resources. Every donation made through this site will also count toward Southwest’s one million Acts of Kindness challenge.

One Report Launch

Today, the carrier also announces the launch of its annual corporate social responsibility Report—The Southwest Airlines One Report. This integrated citizenship report highlights Southwest’s three-pronged approach to the triple bottom line of People, Performance, and Planet. The One Report highlights significant social, economic, and environmental events that occurred throughout 2020, all through the lens of citizenship.

New this year, the One Report includes expanded citizenship reporting. Since 2009, Southwest has reported on its citizenship efforts using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards. In line with Southwest’s efforts to continue providing transparency to its Stakeholders, 2020 marks the first time Southwest has also used the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) as guides for its One Report. This is in addition to expanding its previous GRI reporting.

“For 50 years, Southwest has connected People to what’s important in their lives by providing friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. “This Purpose is at the core of our citizenship efforts and drives our desire to bring People together while being a good neighbor where our Employees and Customers work and live. Our ongoing work with organizations like the National Forest Foundation demonstrates one way we put our Heart in action, and there are many other great examples shared in the 2020 One Report.”

To view the 2020 One Report and learn more about Southwest’s citizenship efforts, including a video message from Gary Kelly, visit southwestonereport.com.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million Passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of point-to-point service with a strong presence across top leisure and business markets. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. In 2020, the carrier added service to Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami; Palm Springs, Calif.; Steamboat Springs; and Montrose (Telluride/Crested Butte), Colo. Thus far in 2021, Southwest has initiated service to Chicago (O’Hare) and Sarasota/ Bradenton, both on Feb. 14; Savannah/Hilton Head and Colorado Springs, Colo., both on March 11; Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara, Calif., both on April 12; as well as Fresno, Calif., on April 25; Destin/Fort Walton Beach on May 6; and will begin service to Myrtle Beach S.C., on May 23; Bozeman, Mont., on May 27; Jackson, Miss., on June 6; and Eugene, Ore., on Aug. 29. The Company also has announced an intention to initiate new service to Bellingham, Wash., later this year.

The carrier issued its Southwest® Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees well-being and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, along with a federal mandate requiring every person to wear a mask at all times throughout each flight. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are available at Southwest.com/Promise.

Southwest coined Transfarency® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances). Southwest does not charge change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier’s performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

Book Southwest Airlines’ low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

Media Contacts:

Visit the Southwest Newsroom at swamedia.com for multimedia assets and other Company news.

Media Relations Team: (214) 792-4847, option 1

Source: Southwest Airlines

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