Southwest is having an unusual moment: An aviation industry stalwart that’s typically posted solid results, it has attracted the attention of activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which is calling for change, including the ouster of chairman Gary Kelly and CEO Bob Jordan.

In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin, aviation editor Robby Silk and guest Gary Leff, author of the View from the Wing blog, discuss Southwest’s headwinds, why Elliott is so keen to make changes and why Southwest is such an unusual company in the aviation space.

Update: On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Southwest made changes to its board: Six members will step down, and chairman Gary Kelly will leave next spring. The shakeup comes after a meeting between Southwest and Elliott, but Elliott did not immediately withdraw its proxy challenge. https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Gary-Kelly-out-as-Southwest-chairman

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com/agent-home

Related reports:

View from the Wing https://viewfromthewing.com/

Southwest meets with investor that wants a CEO change https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-to-meet-with-activist-investor-Elliott

Will changes coming to Southwest help or hurt the brand? https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/How-will-Southwest-changes-affect-brand

Southwest now displaying fares on Kayak leisure site https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-now-displaying-flights-on-Kayak-leisure-site

 

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