Tag Archives: SFO

Hong Kong Airlines expands North America network with San Francisco launch

Hong Kong Airlines celebrated the launch of its new A350 service to San Francisco on March 25. The City by the Bay becomes the airline’s third destination in North America, following the successful launch of services to Vancouver and Los Angeles in 2017.

Flight HX060 departed Hong Kong on time at 1303 and touched down at San Francisco International Airport at 1023 local time. Following a celebration event at the boarding gate hosted by Hong Kong Airlines, flight HX061 departed from San Francisco at noon and is scheduled to arrive ahead of time on early Monday evening. To mark this special occasion, Mark Farrell, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, proclaimed March 25, 2018 as the “Hong Kong Airlines Day in San Francisco.”

To make the San Francisco service extra special, Hong Kong Airlines has collaborated with USA celebrity chef and television personality Chris Cosentino to bring his flair for innovative cuisine onboard. Renowned for his seasonal and rustic cooking, Chef Cosentino is known for his restaurant, Cockscomb, where he reinterprets classic San Francisco dishes by adding his own unique twist. Business Class passengers travelling from San Francisco to Hong Kong will enjoy a specially curated menu created by Chef Cosentino featuring a three course meal presented in new tableware by Hong Kong designers JIA. This delectable menu will also be introduced on Hong Kong Airline’s Los Angeles – Hong Kong route in the months ahead.

Business Class passengers can also look forward to receiving an updated set of Hong Kong-themed amenity kits, designed by Hong Kong’s Ricebowl Republic and CLIP. Each pouch is made with thick cotton canvas and lined with bold-coloured fabric, featuring birdcage, teapot, rice bowl or the Hong Kong city skyline.

Hong Kong Airlines operates flights between Hong Kong and San Francisco four-times weekly at the following schedule^# (all times local).

Flight Number	Route	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Frequency
(25 March 2018 – 30 June 2018)
HX060	Hong Kong to San Francisco	1300	1015	Mon
HX060	Hong Kong to San Francisco	1310	1045	Wed, Fri, Sun
HX061	San Francisco to Hong Kong	1230	1735+1	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun

#The flight schedule is subject to change without prior notice.

The new route is served with new Airbus A350-900s.

Bottom Copyright Photo (all others above by Hong Kong Airlines): Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-LGC (msn 168) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940395.

Hong Kong Airlines aircraft slide show:

Alaska and Virgin America unveil their Airbus A321 “Most West Coast” logo jet

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America have unveiled their new Airbus A321neo recently delivered to Virgin America. The new airliner wears this special “Most West Coast” livery to celebrate the fact that both carriers cover the U.S. West Coast more than any other carrier.

N925VA was delivered on December 2, 2017 and has just adopted this special livery. N925VA has very small “Operated by Virgin America” titles near the nose, pending future painting with Alaska Airlines titles.

Alaska Air Group serves 118 destinations with nearly 1,200 daily flights in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. This includes markets flown by Virgin America as well as Horizon Air, SkyWest Airlines and PenAir, which provide feed traffic to Alaska Airlines under capacity purchase agreements.

With West Coast hubs in Seattle/Tacoma; Portland, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; San Francisco and Los Angeles; Alaska calls Seattle home. Alaska Air Group offers more flights to more destinations from the Pacific Northwest than any other airline.

The Virgin America brand will be retired in 2019. The current Virgin America Airbus A319 and A320 fleet is expected to be repainted starting in early 2018.

Copyright Photo: Virgin America Airbus A321-253N WL N925VA (msn 7999) (Most West Coast) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 940365.

Virgin America:

Route Map:

Delta’s Boeing 747-400 farewell tour makes a stop at the Everett birthplace

Delta Air Lines brought the pictured N674US back to its birthplace at Paine Field in Everett, WA from Detroit on Monday, December 18, 2017. The pictured Boeing 747-451 N674US operated a short flight to Seattle/Tacoma.

N674US nows carries this special “All Hail The Queen Farewell Tour” logo.

As previously reported, Delta announced the final flights for the iconic Boeing 747-400 this month:

Here are seven things to know about Delta’s big goodbye to the 747:

Delta is operating the Boeing 747-400 on daily scheduled service between its Detroit hub and its partner hub at Seoul-Incheon.
Here are the final regularly scheduled flights of the Delta 747:
- Final U.S. departure: Flight 159 at Detroit to Seoul-Incheon at 12:31 p.m.on December 15, 2017
- Final Asia Pacific arrival: Flight 159 at Seoul-Incheon from Detroit at 4:30 p.m. on December 16, 2017
- Final Asia Pacific departure: Flight 158 at Seoul-Incheon to Detroit at 11:15 a.m. on December 17, 2017
- Final U.S. arrival: Flight 158 at Detroit from Seoul-Incheon at 10:14 a.m.on December 17, 2017
Delta will take the 747 on an employee farewell tour from Detroit to Seattle/Tacoma on December 18, 2017 Seattle/Tacoma to Atlanta on December 19, 2017 and Atlanta to Minneapolis-St. Paul on December 20, 2017.
Customers can bid for a spot on these farewell flights via SkyMiles Experiences using their SkyMiles.
Employees and retirees can purchase a seat on these flights on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at noon ET November 20, 2017 at a discounted rate, with all proceeds going to the Airloom Project, the organization behind the 747 Experience exhibit at the Delta Flight Museum.
The 747 will fly a handful of sports team and ad-hoc charter flights through December 31, 2017.
Delta will fly its final Boeing 747 to its retirement place in Arizona in early January. This ferry flight will not be open to passengers.

Delta will be celebrating the iconic and revolutionary 747 throughout December in all of its channels and encourages customers, enthusiasts and employees to share their own tributes and remembrances using the #DL747Farewell hashtag.

Top Photo: Boeing.

Above Copyright Photo: N674US with Northwest. Northwest Airlines-NWA Boeing 747-451 N674US (msn 30269) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 903152.

Northwest:

Delta:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Delta Air Lines Boeing 747-451 N674US (msn 30269) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 907046.

United Airlines to fly to Tahiti

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United Airlines (UAL) has announced it will begin service between San Francisco and Pape’ete, the capital of Tahiti, the South Pacific’s gateway to more than 118 islands in French Polynesia including Bora Bora, Moorea, the Marquesas and Raiatea. United is the only U.S. carrier offering nonstop service to Tahiti from the mainland United States.

United will operate nonstop service, three times weekly with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft between its San Franciscohub and Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT), beginning Oct. 30, 2018, through March 28, 2019, subject to government approval.

Winter 2018 schedule – Subject to government approval

Flight	City	Frequency	Depart*	Arrive*
UA 115	SFO – PPT	Tues/Thurs/Sun	2:45 p.m.	9:25 p.m.
UA 114	PPT – SFO	Tues/Thurs/Sun	11:45 p.m.	9:50 a.m. ^{next day}
*Flight Times Subject to Change

United’s Long History Connecting Customers to the Pacific Islands

United’s love affair with the Pacific islands started more than 70 years ago and continues today. It began in 1947 with United’s first flight across the Pacific from San Francisco to Honolulu, making the Hawaiian Islands an easily accessible destination for tourism and business. Today, United offers more flights between the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands than any other U.S. carrier.

In 1968, United expanded its Pacific network linking the Hawaiian Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Guam. Today, nearly half a century later, United’s Island Hopper – Flight 155 – departs Guam in the morning and makes a series of five, one-hour flights to the islands of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae; Kwajalein and Majuro. In addition to the airline’s popular Island Hopper service, United connects customers from Guam to other island destinations including Palau, Yap and the Philippines.

In 1986, United began nonstop service from its West Coast hubs in the U.S. to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. Today, United is the largest U.S. carrier to serve Australia, offering the most seats to Sydney and Melbourne with its daily nonstop service from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Building its powerful Pacific network, last year United began nonstop service from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand, becoming the largest mainland U.S. carrier to serve the City of Sails.

French blue had recently announced plans to serve Tahiti from Paris via a technical stop in San Francisco.

United’s last Boeing 747 revenue flight

On November 7, 2017 United Airlines operated its last Boeing 747 revenue flight with flight UA 747 from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL). The last flight was operated with the pictured Boeing 747-422 N118UA. Flight UA 747 departed around noon almost an hour late due to a mechanical issue.

The aircraft is now expected to be ferried to Victorville, CA (VCV) for storage and final disposal.

Mark Durbin was there at SFO to record the historic departure. All photos by Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com.

United Airlines issued this statement and photos:

On November 7, 2017, United Airlines (UAL) flew – for the final time – a Boeing 747 aircraft, the jumbo jet with the unmistakable silhouette that once represented the state-of-the-art in air travel.

Serving as the ultimate throwback, the airline recreated the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970 for today’s historic farewell journey. Flight UA747 departed from San Francisco with service to Honolulu with more than 300 customers, employees and distinguished guests onboard.

From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, the “Queen of the Skies” is being sent off in style. Seats for this flight sold out in less than 90 minutes when this farewell celebration was announced in September.

“The iconic 747 is a remarkably special aircraft that signaled a new era of air travel and was equally recognizable and beloved by our customers and crew alike,” said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United. “While today is bittersweet, we’ll continue to honor the Queen of the Skies’ game-changing legacy of connecting people and uniting the world with our next-generation of long-haul aircraft.”

The send-off began this morning at SFO with a gate party featuring a 747 gallery, 1970s costumes for use in a retro photo booth, a life-size retirement card for customers and employees to sign and of course, cake. Oscar Munozaddressed the crowd alongside State Senator Jerry Hill and executives from Boeing and Pratt & Whitney.

Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day, including remarks from United leaders and Hawaii State Representative Henry J.C. Aquino.

747-400 Facts and Figures

The 747-400 ranks as the commercial airliner with the largest passenger interior volume, at 31,285 cubic feet.
At 231 feet, 10 inches from nose to tail, the 747-400 is roughly as long as five humpback whales end-to-end.
The wingspan (211 feet, 5 inches) is about 10 feet wider than the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Its wings have a surface area of 5,650 square feet, bigger than a standard size NBA basketball court.
A typical trans-Atlantic flight uses over 5.5 tons of food supplies— more than the weight of a large Asian elephant.
The tail height is 63.8 feet, equivalent to a six-story building.
The aircraft contains 171 miles of wiring, enough to connect New York City to Baltimore.
The 747-400 is one of the fastest passenger aircraft in service, with a cruise speed of 565 mph, more than twice as fast as a Formula One car.

United’s 747 Through the Years

June 26, 1970: United Airlines receives its first 747-100 complete with a christening ceremony fit for a luxury liner.

July 23, 1970: United makes its first 747 commercial flight, with a trip from San Francisco to Honolulu.

April 22, 1985: United announces its plan to acquire Pan Am’s Pacific routes, as well as 11 747SP planes. The 747SPs feature a 48-foot-shorter body and fly higher, faster, and farther than standard 747 models.

January 29-30, 1988: Friendship One, a 747SP owned by United Airlines, sets the around-the-world air speed record of 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds. This special flight raises $500,000 for children’s charities through the Friendship Foundation. Tickets cost a minimum of $5,000, and special guest passengers included astronaut Neil Armstrong, famed test pilots Bob Hoover and Lieutenant General Laurence C. Craigie, and Moya Lear, the widow of Lear Jet founder Bill Lear.

June, 1989: United Airlines receives their first 747-400 which provides increased range.

September 1996: A 747SP previously flown by United is transformed into NASA’s SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which carries a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind an enormous sliding door.

January 11, 2017: United announces that it will retire the 747-400 fleet in the last quarter of 2017.

July 28, 2017: United schedules a special domestic flight from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco to allow more customers to experience the Queen of the Skies.

October, 2017: United employees get a chance to say goodbye to the 747 when the aircraft goes on a farewell tour with stops at each of the carrier’s U.S. hubs.

October 29, 2017: United flies its last international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco.

November 7, 2017: United celebrates the retirement of the 747 with a fitting full-circle moment. A special retro event sees the aircraft flying from San Francisco to Honolulu—a nod to its first-ever flight back in 1970.

United operates the last international Boeing 747 flight

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United Airlines flight UA 892 from Seoul (Incheon) to the San Francisco hub with the pictured N121UA arrived at 11:19 am local time in SFO on Sunday, October 29, 2017. According to Flightaware the flight duration was 10 hours and 24 minutes. This was the last UA 747 international revenue flight.

As previously reported, United announced it will operate United special flight 747, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from San Francisco to Honolulu which will be the airline’s farewell flight to the Boeing 747 fleet.

This journey will serve as the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the “Friend Ship,” the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.

Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, are available for purchase now at united.com or through the United app. The seats in the upper deck will not be sold, giving all guests the opportunity to spend time in this iconic space.

Customers seated in United Polaris first class and United Polaris business class will be entered into a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.

The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N121UA (msn 29167) (4-Star 747 Friend Ship) LHR (Antony J. Best). Image: 939641.

Bottom Copyright Photo: N121UA was previously painted in the Star Alliance livery. United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N121UA (msn 29167) (Star Alliance) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 902623.

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United announces the last Boeing 747 revenue flight

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United Airlines made this announcement:

In celebration of United Airlines retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet, United flight 747, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from San Francisco to Honolulu will be the airline’s farewell flight to the 747 fleet.

United and the Boeing 747 through the Years

April 13, 1966: Boeing announces it will build a 490-passenger 747 transport. Construction is set to begin in June on a new plant in Everett, Washington.

January 3, 1967: The first production workers for the 747 program arrive in Everett. The 50,000 who would produce the world’s largest civilian airplane were known as The Incredibles, and they earned the label by bringing the Jumbo Jet dream to reality in only 16 months.

September 30, 1968: The first Boeing 747-100, City of Everett, is rolled out at their Washington plant, painted with the insignias of the 27 airlines that had already ordered the aircraft including United.

February 9, 1969: The Boeing 747-100 makes its first flight.

January 21, 1970: The Boeing 747 makes its first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American World Airways.

June 26, 1970: Continental Airlines becomes one of the first carriers to put the Boeing 747 into U.S. domestic service, flying from Chicago to Los Angeles and onward to Honolulu.

June 26, 1970: United Airlines receives its first Boeing 747-100 complete with a christening ceremony fit for a luxury liner.

July 23, 1970: United makes its first Boeing 747 commercial flight, with a trip from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-122 N4710U (msn 19755) JFK (Bruce Drum). Image: 101357.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-122 N4728U (msn 19925) “747 Friend Ship” LAX (Bruce Drum). Image: 103100.

January 1977: A modified Boeing 747-100 is delivered to NASA to serve as a carrier vehicle for the Space Shuttle.

April 22, 1985: United announces its plan to acquire Pan Am’s Pacific routes, as well as 11 Boeing 747SP planes. The 747SPs feature a 48-foot-shorter body and fly higher, faster, and farther than standard 747 models.

Above Copyright: United Airlines Boeing 747SP-21 N149UA (msn 21649) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 101362.

January 29-30, 1988: Friendship One, a Boeing 747SP owned by United Airlines, sets the around-the-world air speed record of 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds. This special flight raises $500,000 for children’s charities through the Friendship Foundation. Tickets cost a minimum of $5,000, and special guest passengers included astronaut Neil Armstrong, famed test pilots Bob Hoover and Lieutenant General Laurence C. Craigie, and Moya Lear, the widow of Lear Jet founder Bill Lear.

June, 1989: United Airlines receives their first Boeing 747-400 which provides increased range.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N117UA (msn 28810) LHR (Antony J. Best). Image: 920997.

August 23, 1990: The first of two modified Boeing 747-200Bs is delivered to the Air Force for presidential transport. Better known as Air Force One, these planes still serve the president today, having replaced the Boeing 707-320Bs that had served as the presidential aircraft for almost 30 years.

September 1996: A 747SP previously flown by United is transformed into NASA’s SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which carries a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind an enormous sliding door.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N179UA (msn 25158) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 901763.

June 28, 2014: Boeing delivers the 1,500th 747 to come off the production line. The 747 aircraft is the world’s first wide-body airplane in history to reach the 1,500 production units milestone.

January 11, 2017: United announces that it will retire the Boeing 747-400 fleet in the last quarter of 2017.

July 28, 2017: United schedules a special domestic flight from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco to allow more people to say farewell to the Queen of the Skies.

October 29, 2017: United flies its last international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco.

November 7, 2017: United celebrates the retirement of the Boeing 747 with a fitting full-circle moment. A special retro event sees the aircraft flying from San Francisco to Honolulu—a nod to its first-ever flight back in 1970.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N128UA (msn 30023) NRT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 923735.

United Airlines (historic liveries):

United Airlines (current livery – Boeing):

Endangered Species List:

JetBlue to double the number of flights to Atlanta

JetBlue Airways (New York) has announced the start date for service between Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and three more of the airline’s focus cities. Beginning March 8, 2018, JetBlue will double the number of daily flights in Georgia’s capital city when it adds roundtrip service between Atlanta and:

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – twice daily
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – twice daily
Orlando International Airport (MCO) – once daily

All Atlanta flights will be operated on JetBlue’s Airbus A320 aircraft.

JetBlue first announced its intent to serve these cities last year. The new flights will build on existing nonstop service to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which launched in March 2017 and operates five times per day.


Schedule Between New York (JFK) and Atlanta (ATL)
Beginning March 8, 2018
JFK – ATL Flight #519			ATL – JFK Flight #520
8:09 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.			11:30 a.m. – 1:50 p.m.
JFK – ATL Flight #719			ATL – JFK Flight #720
2:59 p.m. – 5:39 p.m.			6:20 p.m. – 8:47 p.m.


Schedule Between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Atlanta (ATL)
Beginning March 8, 2018
FLL – ATL Flight #468			ATL – FLL Flight #467
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.			7:00 a.m. – 8:57 a.m.
FLL – ATL Flight #568			ATL – FLL Flight #567
8:52 p.m. – 10:49 p.m.			2:45 p.m. – 4:47 p.m.


Schedule Between Orlando (MCO) and Atlanta (ATL)
Beginning March 8, 2018
MCO – ATL Flight #1150			ATL – MCO Flight #1153
10:15 a.m. – 11:56 a.m.			12:40 p.m. – 2:11 p.m.

United announces new flights from Paine Field, Everett, WA

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United Airlines (Chicago) made this surprising announcement about new scheduled services from Paine Field in Everett, WA (north of Seattle):

Nearly 80 years after operating the first commercial flight from Paine Field, United Airlines (UAL) has announced it is returning to the airport and will offer customers six daily flights to its hubs in Denver and San Francisco beginning in the fall of 2018.

Originally constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936 to create jobs and economic growth in the region, the Snohomish County Airport quickly grew and served as an alternate-day landing field and in 1939 United Airlines operated the first commercial flight from the airport. Paine Field has since become the center of Boeing’s production facilities producing many United aircraft including the 747, 767, 777, and the 787 airplanes and employing tens of thousands of employees.

Located just 23 miles north of Seattle, Paine Field is the newest option for the fast growing number of business and leisure travelers from the Northern Seattle, Snohomish and Northern King County areas.

United currently operates 36 flights between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and its U.S. hubs. North Seattle and Northwest Washington are among the fastest growing areas in the nation and Paine Field will provide an essential and convenient choice for air travel moving forward.

Southwest announces new international routes, defers its four remaining Boeing 737-800 options in 2018 and converts them to four Boeing 737 MAX 8 options

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced it will begin international service for Indianapolis travelers with new weekly service to Cancun, Mexico as the carrier extends its schedule through April 6, 2018. The new flights between Cancun and Indianapolis will operate seasonally on Saturdays beginning March 10, 2018.

As part of today’s flight schedule extension, the carrier is also offering new international service beginning March 8, 2018 between Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and Aruba. Additionally, new nonstop service offered daily between Milwaukee and Houston (Hobby) will allow connections to destinations such as Belize, Cancun and Mexico City.

Beginning March 8, 2018, fly nonstop daily between:

Fort Lauderdale and Aruba	for as low as $69 one-way*
Milwaukee and Houston (Hobby)	for as low as $69 one-way*

*Purchase from July 27 through August 3, 2017, 11:59 p.m. in the respective time zone of the originating city. Domestic and International travel is valid March 8 through April 6, 2018. Service begins March 8, 2018. Domestic travel is not valid on Fridays and Sundays. International travel is valid Monday through Thursday.

Southwest begins seasonal weekly service on Saturdays between Detroit and Tampa as well as Omaha and Tampa.

On the financial side, Southwest reported its second quarter 2017 results:

Net income of $746 million, diluted earnings per share of $1.23, operating income of $1.25 billion, and operating margin¹ of 21.8 percent
Excluding special items², net income of $748 million, diluted earnings per share of $1.24, operating income of $1.21 billion, and operating margin³ of 21.1 percent
Second quarter operating cash flow of $746 million and second quarter free cash flow² of $195 million
Returned $476 million to Shareholders through a combination of dividends and share repurchases
Return on invested capital (ROIC)² for 12 months ended June 30, 2017, of 27.5 percent

Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are very pleased to report another terrific quarter. As expected, we produced positive unit revenues compared with the strong year-ago performance. We had several notable achievements during second quarter, but the headline was the deployment of our new reservation system on May 9th. It was an historic milestone, the largest technology project in our history, and perhaps, one of the largest ever in the airline industry. The implementation was virtually flawless, although a new system is always challenging for the users. I want to thank all of our People who were involved in the development and deployment. It was superb. And, I want to thank all of our Frontline Employees for their hard work in learning and using their new system. The operations since May 9th have been superb, also. Once again, our Employees showcased their unmatched Hospitality and delivered a reliable product—a truly impressive achievement considering the record number of flights, Customers, and bags. Congratulations to our People and our Shareholders on a strong financial performance, which generated $202 million in profitsharing and $476 million in Shareholder returns.”

Fleet and Capacity

The Company ended second quarter 2017 with 735 aircraft in its fleet. This reflects the second quarter 2017 delivery of 13 new Boeing 737-800s and 5 pre-owned Boeing 737-700s, as well as the retirement of 10 Classic aircraft. During the second quarter, the Company also added three pre-owned 737-700 aircraft to its fleet order book to be delivered this year for 2018 service. Subsequent to June 30, 2017, the Company added one additional pre-owned 737-700 aircraft to its fleet order book to be delivered this year for 2018 service. With the addition of these four pre-owned 737-700 aircraft to its order book, the Company deferred its four remaining 737-800 options in 2018 and converted them to four Boeing 737 MAX 8 options, two in 2021 and two in 2022.

As of July 25, 2017, there were 67 Classic aircraft remaining in the Company’s fleet that it intends to retire by the end of third quarter 2017. Total aircraft, net of all Classic retirements, is expected to decline to 707 by year-end 2017 and grow to 750 aircraft by year-end 2018, as previously announced.

The Company currently expects its third quarter 2017 available seat miles (ASMs) to increase in the four to five percent range and its fourth quarter 2017 ASMs to increase in the one to two percent range, compared with the same year-ago periods. While the Company has not finalized its 2018 capacity plans, it currently estimates year-over-year ASM growth to be less than four percent in the first half of 2018, and its full year 2018 ASM growth to be less than its 2016 year-over-year ASM growth of 5.7 percent. Additional information regarding the Company’s aircraft delivery schedule is included in the accompanying tables.

The Company continues to fine tune its network and introduce new markets that not only strengthen its Customer brand appeal, but also support its revenue and profitability targets. In late April, the Company began international service daily between San Diego and San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, Mexico. In June, the Company consolidated its Ohio operations and launched service to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The same day, the Company also launched service to Grand Cayman from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Additionally, the Company has announced plans to concentrate its service to Cuba in Havana and will cease operations at Varadero and Santa Clara in September. In November, the Company expects to begin international nonstop service weekly from both Nashville and St. Louis to Cancun (CUN), as well as daily service between Providenciales, Turks & Caicos and FLL beginning in the same month, all subject to requisite governmental approvals. And just this morning, the Company published a flight schedule extension through April 6, 2018, which includes new international service weekly between Indianapolis and CUN that is expected to begin in March 2018 and is also subject to governmental approvals.

Top Copyright Photo: Southwest intends to retire its last Boeing 737-300 by the end of the third quarter. By agreement, the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 will be introduced when the last 737-300 is retired.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 HL N654SW (msn 28399) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 925717.