Southwest Announces Initial New Orleans Flight Schedule

Carrier Will Start With Two Daily Departures to Houston Hobby.

Today, Southwest provides details on its initial flight schedule
from New Orleans in the "post-Katrina era." Starting Sept. 20, 2005,
Southwest will support two daily roundtrip flights between Louis
Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Houston's
Hobby Airport (HOU). Seats on these two flights are available for
sale through the end of Southwest's current schedule (Jan. 9, 2006).

Those initial departures are:
11:35 a.m. from New Orleans Arriving in Houston at 12:40 p.m.
5:05 p.m. from New Orleans Arriving in Houston at 6:10 p.m.

Return flights to New Orleans are:
10:15 a.m. departure from Houston Arriving in New Orleans at 11:15 a.m.
3:45 p.m. departure from Houston Arriving in New Orleans at 4:45 p.m.

"Once we had all of our New Orleans-based Employees accounted for, we
began working with airport and government officials on how and when we
would be able to return service to a city we have served continuously
since 1979," said Colleen Barrett, Southwest's President. "Since
commercial air service to the city will be limited for some time, we
decided to initially focus that service into Houston Hobby where
Southwest has a significant presence with a wide range of destinations
for our New Orleans Customers."

Southwest Airlines has more than 400 Employees who reside in the New
Orleans area, more than half of whom work at the airport. After
evacuating a number of them and their families to other Southwest
Airlines cities, the carrier suspended service to New Orleans on
August 28, just hours before Hurricane Katrina hit.

"The people of New Orleans are anxious to rebuild their city and
Southwest Airlines is intent upon helping them do just that,"
Barrett said. "Though we cannot predict how long it will take for
passenger demand to justify additional flights, we have a long
history of responding to passenger demand with added flights
affording reliable, dependable, low fare air service. We take
pride in the knowledge that we will, as always, be a Good Neighbor
to our good friends in New Orleans, and we look forward to growing
incrementally with them and being part of the city's rebirth."

Before Hurricane Katrina, Southwest had 57 daily nonstop
departures from New Orleans to 16 cities.

MSY Travel Advisory

Please be advised that ground transportation is limited and curfew
restrictions may be in place throughout Jefferson Parish and the
City of New Orleans, as well as the surrounding area. All
transportation, hotel, and/or other arrangements need to be
confirmed before departure.

Southwest advises Customers traveling into New Orleans to check
the State of Louisiana's official web site, for the latest information and resources concerning Hurricane Katrina.

All reservations previously held by Southwest Airlines Customers
for flights to/from New Orleans (MSY) between September 3, 2005
and January 9, 2006, have been cancelled and are not being
reinstated. Customers should contact Southwest Airlines via its
web site, southwest.com, or by calling Reservations at (800)I FLY SWA
to book the two new roundtrip flights between New Orleans and Houston.



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