Southwest Airlines vs United Airlines: Founders, CEOs and History
Southwest Airlines was founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher, Rollin King and is led by Bob Jordan. United Airlines was founded in 1926 by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing and is led by Scott Kirby.
Company facts
Southwest Airlines
- Founded
- 1967
- Headquarters
- Dallas, Texas
- Current CEO
- Bob Jordan
- Employees
- 72,790
United Airlines
- Founded
- 1926
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Current CEO
- Scott Kirby
- Employees
- 113,200
Founders
Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher
Herb Kelleher was an absolutely legendary American corporate attorney, fiercely visionary aviation pioneer, and the profoundly influential CEO and founding patriarch fundamentally responsible for architecting the massively dominant Southwest Airlines empire.
Rollin King
Rollin King's contribution to Southwest Airlines is often overshadowed by Herb Kelleher's larger-than-life personality, but King was the conceptual originator of the airline.
United Airlines
Walter T. Varney
Walter T. Varney founded Varney Air Lines, which won Contract Air Mail Route 5 and flew its first route between Pasco, Washington, and Elko, Nevada, via Boise, on April 6, 1926.
William Boeing
William Boeing formed Boeing Air Transport in 1927 to fly the Chicago-San Francisco air mail route and then, with Frederick Rentschler, created United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929.
CEOs and their tenures
Southwest Airlines
- Herb Kelleher1982–2001
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Herb Kelleher is the defining figure of Southwest Airlines' history and arguably the most influential airline executive in American aviation.
Source - Gary Kelly2004–2022
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman
Gary Kelly served as Southwest's CEO for nearly two decades, overseeing the airline's expansion to national scale, the transformative AirTran acquisition, the Wright Amendment repeal, and the industry-wide challenges of the post-9/11 recovery, the 2008 financi…
Source - Bob Jordan2022–present
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Vice Chairman
Jordan, a Southwest employee since 1988, became CEO in February 2022. He leads the transformation plan that added bag fees, basic economy and assigned seating, and he reported record Q2 2026 revenue of $8.4B.
Source
United Airlines
- Oscar Munoz2015–2020
Former CEO
Munoz handed over to Scott Kirby in May 2020 and served as executive chairman for a transition period.
Source - J. Scott Kirby2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Kirby, United's revenue rose from $15.4 billion in 2020 to a record $59.1 billion in 2025, with premium cabins and MileagePlus as the main growth drivers.
Source
Timeline: Southwest Airlines and United Airlines side by side
1926United Airlines
Varney Air Lines begins
United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines and early air mail service.
1931United Airlines
United Air Lines organized
United Air Lines was formed to manage airline subsidiaries tied to United Aircraft and Transport.
1967Southwest Airlines
Company Founded
Herb Kelleher and Rollin King incorporate Air Southwest Co. In Texas with the vision of operating low-cost, high-frequency intrastate air service connecting Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
1971Southwest Airlines
First Commercial Flights
After a four-year legal battle against incumbent carriers, Southwest Airlines begins commercial operations on June 18, 1971, flying Boeing 737-200s from Dallas Love Field to San Antonio and Houston Hobby Airport at thirteen-dollar one-way fares.
1973Southwest Airlines
First Full-Year Profit
Southwest posts its first annual profit in 1973, beginning a 47-consecutive-year streak of profitability that would become the defining statistic of its financial history and remain leading by any other major U.S. Airline.
1977Southwest Airlines
NYSE Listing Under LUV
Southwest Airlines lists on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LUV, a deliberate reference to its Dallas Love Field home airport that also signals the airline's distinctive customer-first culture.
1979Southwest Airlines
Wright Amendment Enacted
Congress passes the Wright Amendment, restricting Southwest's Love Field operations to Texas and four surrounding states, limiting the airline's expansion from its Dallas home base for the next three decades.
1982Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher Becomes CEO
Herb Kelleher assumes the CEO role, beginning a tenure that will transform Southwest from a regional Texas carrier into a national airline and cement the cultural identity that defines the company to this day.
1993Southwest Airlines
Morris Air Acquisition
Southwest acquires Morris Air Corporation for approximately 130 million dollars, marking one of the few acquisitions in its history and integrating Morris Air's Salt Lake City-based operations into the Southwest network.
1997United Airlines
Star Alliance founded
United became one of the founding members of Star Alliance.
2010United Airlines
Continental merger closes
UAL Corporation completed the Continental merger, later operating under the United brand.
2011Southwest Airlines
AirTran Airways Acquisition
Southwest completes the acquisition of AirTran Airways for approximately 1.4 billion dollars, significantly expanding its network into Atlanta and other markets where Southwest previously had limited or no presence, and inheriting AirTran's international route…
2014Southwest Airlines
Wright Amendment Fully Repealed
The final restrictions of the Wright Amendment are lifted in October 2014, allowing Southwest to offer nonstop service from Dallas Love Field to any domestic destination for the first time in its 43-year history.
2015United Airlines
Oscar Munoz becomes CEO
Oscar Munoz became chief executive of United in September 2015.
2019Southwest Airlines
End of 47-Year Profit Streak Looms
Southwest posts its last year of the 47-consecutive-year profit streak in 2019, generating net income of approximately 2.3 billion dollars, before the COVID-19 pandemic erases profitability across the entire aviation industry in 2020.
2020United Airlines
Scott Kirby becomes CEO
Scott Kirby succeeded Oscar Munoz as CEO in May 2020.
2022Southwest Airlines
December Operational Meltdown
Winter Storm Elliott triggers a catastrophic operational failure in which Southwest cancels more than 16,700 flights over ten days, stranding approximately 2 million passengers and ultimately costing the airline over 800 million dollars in direct costs plus a…
2024Southwest Airlines
Elliott Advisors Activist Campaign and Strategic Transformation Announced
Elliott Advisors discloses a roughly 10 percent economic interest in Southwest worth approximately 1.9 billion dollars and launches a public campaign for leadership and strategic changes, prompting Southwest to announce its most comprehensive transformation pl…
2025United Airlines
Revenue reaches record level
United reported record 2025 total operating revenue of $59.1 billion.
2026Southwest Airlines
Southwest reports FY2025 and Q1 2026 transformation results
Southwest reported FY2025 revenue of $28.063B and Q1 2026 revenue of $7.249B while continuing major commercial and operating-model changes.
2026United Airlines
Q2 2026 revenue up 16%
United reported Q2 2026 revenue of $17.7 billion and raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $9-$11 despite nearly $6 billion in added fuel costs.
Acquisitions
Southwest Airlines
- AirTran Airways2011$1.4B
- Morris Air Corporation1993$130M
Questions about Southwest Airlines vs United Airlines
Who is the CEO of Southwest Airlines and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Southwest Airlines is led by Bob Jordan and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is led by Scott Kirby. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Southwest Airlines founded vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1926 — 41 years before Southwest Airlines, which was founded in 1967. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Southwest Airlines.
How many employees does Southwest Airlines have compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Southwest Airlines employs approximately 72,790 people, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 113,200. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has the larger workforce at 113,200 employees, compared to Southwest Airlines's 72,790. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Southwest Airlines and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. headquartered?
Both Southwest Airlines and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Southwest Airlines and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Southwest Airlines was founded by Herb Kelleher, Rollin King. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was founded by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing.
Which company has a longer operating history — Southwest Airlines or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has been operating for approximately 100 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Southwest Airlines has been in operation for around 59 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Southwest Airlines vs United Airlines overview