Southwest deal not dead

Press Release

A delegation representing the City of Pensacola and Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport met with Southwest Airlines executives today (Friday, Nov. 13) in Dallas.

“We had a very productive meeting with top Southwest executives,” said Pensacola Mayor Mike Wiggins. “Everyone was forthright and all the participants left the meeting with a sense the partnership between Southwest and the Pensacola region had taken a step
forward.”

Wiggins said Southwest officials assured them the company retains a “strong interest” in bringing air service to Pensacola and the Gulf Coast region.

“We did not leave with any definitive timeline, nor did we expect to,” he said. “But we left with an understanding that even though Southwest recently announced service to the Panama City area, their interest in Pensacola and our region is still very strong.”

Wiggins characterized the discussions as “positive” and said it is also clear that other factors will affect the timing of any future decisions.
“Everyone knows economic times are tough and the situation changes daily in the airline industry,” he said. “I believe both sides trust this relationship. Together we will work on a plan that will continue and will stand the test of time. For our part, we will do everything we can to keep moving forward with the ongoing work of bringing Southwest to Pensacola.”