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2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

14. Pioneer in the Skies: The Case of Southwest Airlines

Authors : Kai-Ingo Voigt, Oana Buliga, Kathrin Michl

Published in: Business Model Pioneers

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

Southwest Airlines is a somewhat different example of a business model pioneer—and indeed, one may ask if the company is a pioneer at all: neither was Southwest the first to offer intrastate flights on its home market, Texas, nor was it the first to experiment with low-cost flights. But while the other companies were merely experimenting, Southwest developed a business model, which proved its sustainability over the course of more than four decades. By starting operations in 1971, Southwest faced from the very beginning harsh competition from incumbent airlines. This inspired the young company to create its very own business model—and unlike its main competitors at the time, the airline remains profitable until today. Winning this race made Southwest a prime example of a pioneer in the low-cost airline industry.

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Title: Pioneer in the Skies: The Case of Southwest Airlines
Authors: Kai-Ingo Voigt
Oana Buliga
Kathrin Michl
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: Business Model Pioneers
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-38844-1

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-38845-8

Copyright Year: 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38845-8_14