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Southwest Airlines Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year net income and EPS: Full-year net income was $441 million, or $0.79 per diluted share; adjusted net income was $512 million, or $0.93 per diluted share. Fourth-quarter net income was $323 million, or $0.61. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EBIT against prior guidance: Full-year adjusted EBIT was $574 million. The release cites prior guidance of $500 million, while the third-quarter release had reaffirmed a range of $600 million to $800 million. Source
  • Fuel came in above prior range: Fourth-quarter fuel cost was $2.45 per gallon, above the company's previous guidance range. Source
  • Bag fees and basic economy launched: The 2025 product changes included bag fees, a basic economy fare product and flight credit expiration. Source
  • Assigned seating became operational: Assigned and extra legroom seating became operational the day before the release. Source
  • $2.9 billion returned to shareholders: The company returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and share repurchases. Source
  • 2026 guidance at lower end: Management said 2026 adjusted EPS guidance is at the lower end of internal forecasts and well above Wall Street consensus. Source
  • Earnings gains tied to bookings: Management expects earnings gains from close-in bookings and from growth in business and leisure segments, as booking behavior unfolds. Source

“Last year we implemented the most ambitious transformation in Company history, including bag fees, basic economy fares, assigned and extra legroom seating”

Bob Jordan, Southwest's President & Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted EPS SourceFull year 2026At least $4.00New
Adjusted EPS SourceFirst quarter 2026At least $0.45New
ASMs (capacity), year over year SourceFirst quarter 2026Up 1% to 2%New
RASM (unit revenue), year over year SourceFirst quarter 2026Up at least 9.5%New
CASM-X (unit costs excluding fuel, special items and profit sharing), year over year SourceFirst quarter 2026Up approximately 3.5%New
Fuel cost per gallon SourceFirst quarter 2026Approximately $2.40New
ASMs (capacity), year over year SourceFull year 2026Up 2% to 3%New
Net capital spending SourceFull year 2026$3.0 billion to $3.5 billionNew
Boeing 737-8 aircraft deliveries SourceFull year 202666 aircraftNew
Aircraft retirements SourceFull year 2026Approximately 60 aircraftNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance appears in this release; the prior release gave no 2026 EPS figure. Source
  • New guidance: First-quarter 2026 forecasts for EPS, capacity, unit revenue, unit costs and fuel cost are new in this release. Source
  • New guidance: A 2026 net capital spending range is new in this release. Source
  • New guidance: Expected 2026 Boeing 737-8 deliveries and planned retirements are new in this release. Source
  • New: Six strategic partnerships with foreign airlines were announced; the prior release named only EVA Air. Source
  • New: A partnership with Expedia was announced; the prior release named Priceline as its online travel partner. Source
  • New: The co-brand credit card agreement with Chase was amended, with new benefits and improved economics. Source
  • New: New service at St. Thomas, USVI, was added; the prior release listed Knoxville, St. Maarten, Santa Rosa and Anchorage. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Full-year net income and EPS: Full-year net income was $441 million, or $0.79 per diluted share; adjusted net income was $512 million, or $0.93 per diluted share. Fourth-quarter net income was $323 million, or $0.61. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EBIT against prior guidance: Full-year adjusted EBIT was $574 million. The release cites prior guidance of $500 million, while the third-quarter release had reaffirmed a range of $600 million to $800 million. Source
  • Fourth-quarter adjusted EBIT: Fourth-quarter adjusted EBIT was $386 million, compared with $398 million a year earlier. Source

Revenue and unit revenue

  • Operating revenues for year and quarter: Full-year operating revenues were $28.1 billion, up 2.1%, and fourth-quarter operating revenues were $7.4 billion, up 7.4%, both year over year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter passenger revenue rose: Passenger revenue was $6.8 billion in the fourth quarter, up 7.6% year over year, the company reported. Source
  • Unit revenue fell on FAA-mandated cuts: Fourth-quarter unit revenue, excluding special items, fell 0.2% year over year. Management attributed the decline to Federal Aviation Administration mandated cuts. Source

“sets the stage for significant earnings growth this year”

Bob Jordan, Southwest's President & Chief Executive Officer

Costs and fuel

  • Operating expenses rose 6.0%: Fourth-quarter operating expenses rose 6.0% to $7.1 billion; excluding fuel, special items and profit sharing, they rose 6.6%. Source
  • CASM-X rose in quarter and year: Fourth-quarter CASM-X rose 0.8% and full-year CASM-X rose 3.1%, both year over year. Source
  • Fuel came in above prior range: Fourth-quarter fuel cost was $2.45 per gallon, above the company's previous guidance range. Source
  • Profit sharing accrued for 2025: The company accrued $97 million of employee profit sharing for 2025. Source
  • Severance excluded from adjusted results: Severance and related costs tied to the February 2025 workforce reduction were excluded from adjusted results as special items. Source

Products, partnerships and customers

  • Bag fees and basic economy launched: The 2025 product changes included bag fees, a basic economy fare product and flight credit expiration. Source
  • Assigned seating became operational: Assigned and extra legroom seating became operational the day before the release. Source
  • Six foreign airline partnerships announced: Six strategic partnerships with foreign airlines were announced during the period. Source
  • New service at additional stations: New service was announced for St. Thomas, USVI, Knoxville, St. Maarten, Santa Rosa and Anchorage. Source
  • Co-brand card terms improved: The co-brand credit card agreement with Chase was amended, with new benefits and improved economics. Source

“I could not be more proud of what we accomplished”

Bob Jordan, Southwest's President & Chief Executive Officer

Fleet and capacity

  • Fourth-quarter capacity grew 5.8%: Fourth-quarter capacity rose 5.8% year over year, and full-year capacity rose 1.6%, the company reported. Source
  • Fleet ended year at 803 aircraft: The company received 19 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and retired 18 in the fourth quarter, including 14 Boeing 737-700s and four sold 737-800s. Source
  • 2025 deliveries matched retirements: For 2025 the company received 55 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and retired 55, including five 737-800 sales. Source
  • 2025 net capital spending $2.6 billion: Net capital expenditures for 2025 were $2.6 billion, including the impact of aircraft sales and sale-leaseback transactions. Source

Liquidity and shareholder returns

  • $2.9 billion returned to shareholders: The company returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and share repurchases. Source
  • Repurchases about 14% of shares: Share repurchases in 2025 represented about 14% of shares outstanding, and the company said it kept its investment-grade rating. Source
  • Debt retired in 2025: The company retired $3.3 billion of debt and finance lease obligations, including convertible notes and a Payroll Support Program prepayment. Source
  • Year-end cash and revolving credit: Year-end cash and cash equivalents were $3.2 billion, with a $1.5 billion revolving credit line; unencumbered assets had a net book value of about $17.0 billion. Source
  • Leverage at 2.4 times: Adjusted debt to adjusted EBITDAR was 2.4 times at year end. Source
  • Opportunistic buybacks within guardrails: Management intends to repurchase shares opportunistically while staying within guardrails that support its investment-grade rating. Source

2026 guidance and expected drivers

  • 2026 guidance at lower end: Management said 2026 adjusted EPS guidance is at the lower end of internal forecasts and well above Wall Street consensus. Source
  • Earnings gains tied to bookings: Management expects earnings gains from close-in bookings and from growth in business and leisure segments, as booking behavior unfolds. Source
  • Guidance covers first quarter and year: Guidance is given for the first quarter and full year 2026, with both tables including the impact of Winter Storm Fern. Source

Operations and people

  • Reliability technology deployed: New technology was deployed to boost operational reliability, which management linked to the company's first place in the Wall Street Journal's 2025 airline ranking. Source
  • Redeye flying added: The company added redeye flying and reduced turn time to increase aircraft utilization. Source
  • Employee base held near prior level: Active full-time equivalent employees were 72,790 at year end, up 0.5% from a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 January 2026

  • Range-bound 2026 guidance to follow: Management said it will provide range-bound 2026 guidance when current quarterly results are reported, or earlier. Source
  • Visibility on initiatives within a month: Management expects better visibility into the potential from the new initiatives in roughly the next month. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Revenue passengers carried Source34,033 thousand in fourth quarter, down 0.3%; 134,110 thousand for the year, down 4.2%
Passenger revenue yield per RPM Source19.08 cents in fourth quarter, up 4.3%; 18.31 cents for the year, up 4.4%
RASM (unit revenue) Source16.16 cents in fourth quarter, up 1.5%; 15.59 cents for the year, up 0.5%
Fuel costs per gallon Source$2.45 in fourth quarter, up 2.9%; $2.41 for the year, down 8.7%
Aircraft at end of period Source803, unchanged year over year

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management said the guidance includes the impact of Winter Storm Fern, which it cited alongside the start of 2026. Source
  • Demand: Management linked part of its expected earnings gains to close-in upsell bookings from business and price-flexible customers. Source
  • Operational: The first-quarter fuel assumption is based on market prices as of January 23, 2026, the release states. Source
  • Regulatory: Management said Federal Aviation Administration mandated cuts affected fourth-quarter unit revenue. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the seating product was implemented for travel beginning January 27, 2026. Source
  • Ahead: Management said the company outperformed its previously provided cost reduction estimate, including a first layoff of non-contract and management employees. Source
  • Not stated: Management said fourth-quarter fuel cost came in above the company's previous guidance range. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.