DALLAS, June 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. LUV announced today the release of the 2017 Southwest Airlines One Report. This comprehensive report uses an integrated approach to detail Southwest's financial performance, citizenship efforts, and key milestones that occurred in 2017.

"The One Report is our opportunity to celebrate Southwest's dedication to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet," said Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. "Southwest takes great pride in how we care for our Employees, Customers, Shareholders, and Communities. The One Report helps us bring to life our Purpose of connecting People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, and we are excited to share it."

Highlights from the 2017 Southwest Airlines One Report include:

Performance:

• Ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)¹
• Celebrated 45 consecutive years of profitability
• Returned approximately $1.9 billion to Shareholders through share repurchases and dividends

People:

• Gave more than $37 million total corporate monetary, in-kind, and ticket donations
• Served more than 130 million Customers, an all-time annual record
• Employees earned $543 million in profitsharing for 2017

Planet:

• Refurbished and resold more than 200,000 pounds of electronic equipment
• Diverted 3,737 tons of waste from landfills through recycling and energy recovery efforts
• Saved 8.5 million gallons of fuel in 2017 by refining our fuel planning calculations and flight planning procedures

To view the full 2017 Southwest Airlines One Report, including a video message from Gary Kelly, please visit Southwestonereport.com.

Southwest's dedication to corporate social responsibility and global citizenship was further demonstrated when Southwest was named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for 2018. This list is derived from publicly available data from the Russell 1000 companies and further celebrates Southwest's dedication to citizenship efforts throughout 2017.

¹Source: Air Travel Consumer Reports. Rankings are based on complaints filed with the DOT per 100,000 passengers enplaned.
²A revenue ton mile is one ton of revenue traffic (passenger and cargo) transported one mile.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 47th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. LUV continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 57,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals.

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), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

As launch customer of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in North America, the Company operates the largest fleet in the world of Boeing aircraft, all of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi. Customers who connect to the WiFi network may use their personal devices to view on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV.

With a bold new look first unveiled in 2014, Southwest is progressing through a multi-year refresh of its fleet to showcase the carrier's Heart: a new logo, aircraft livery, interior design featuring new seats, Employee-designed uniforms, and an updated airport experience, all of which showcase a dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 45 consecutive years of profitability, 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. The 2017 Southwest Airlines One Report can be found at southwestonereport.com.

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

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.