Southwest Airlines: Situation and SWOT Analysis and Strategy Formulation and Implementation (Case Study Sample)

Case 16 Southwest Airlines
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Executive summary
Southwest Airlines was developed by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King in 1971. The two founders envisioned creating an airline that would serve the needs of many consumers by providing low-fare flights. The operations of the airline were between Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Due to the differentiation in terms of flight fees, the company became very successful in the industry compared to its competitors, who focused on offering luxury over increased costs. Research has shown that even now, Southwest is among the largest airlines in the United States. The company has also expanded its operations to explore both domestic and international markets.
Introduction
Southwest airline has a history of better domestic and international performance compared to other airlines. From its initial days of founding in 1971 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King. From the case study, as of 2013, Southwest was the largest domestic airline in the United States (Hitt et al., 2016). The primary reason why the company has enjoyed success in the domestic industry is that it offers low flight fares compared to other airlines. Additionally, the company does not offer frills flying which made it possible to control the costs of flights. The low flights have made the airline acquire a strong and loyal customer base. Despite generating success from the domestic market, the airline has also diversified its operations to the international market. With this competitive advantage, the company has been recognized as the world's largest