H.C.R. No. 70
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Southwest Airlines is celebrating its 50th
anniversary in 2021; and
WHEREAS, In 1967, Herb Kelleher and Rollin King founded the
company with a concept simple enough to fit on a cocktail napkin;
they envisioned a triangle connecting Dallas, Houston, and San
Antonio, and after victories in court against challenges by
competitors, Southwest carried its first passengers on June 18,
1971; two years later, despite a fare war waged against its
Dallas-Houston route, it turned its first annual profit; it soon
began service to Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley and bought its
fifth Boeing 737; in 1976, it received permission to fly to Austin,
Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland, and by the end of the
following year, it owned a fleet of ten 737s; and
WHEREAS, Airline deregulation in 1979 allowed Southwest to
begin an era of rapid expansion, although the Wright Amendment
limited flights from its Dallas Love Field airport hub to states
bordering Texas; as the carrier grew, it maintained its core values
of low fares and good customer service; it added its 60th
destination in 2003, and that year, it flew over 65 million
passengers; in the middle of the decade, it launched service in
Denver, Colorado, which became an important base of operations; it
also finally won the ability to offer connecting and one-stop
direct flights from Dallas Love Field across its entire system; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, Southwest closed on its acquisition of
rival AirTran Airways and also received permission from the U.S.
Department of Transportation to fly internationally; it has
continued to move into new markets, including Central America, the
Caribbean, and in 2019, Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception, Southwest has contributed to
the economic prosperity of the Lone Star State, and today, as one of
the nation's largest airlines, it plays an increasingly significant
role as a valued corporate citizen; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of Southwest Airlines and
extend to all those associated with the company sincere best wishes
for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the corporation as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives and Senate.
Craddick
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 70 was adopted by the House on March
25, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 70 was adopted by the Senate on
March 30, 2021, by a viva-voce vote.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor