Southwest Airlines Sends 171 Texas Troops Home for The Holidays

   Airline Flies Troops from Raleigh-Durham to Texas in Time for Christmas

    WHAT:         Southwest Airlines will perform a Christmas miracle for 171
                  Texas families on Sunday, Dec. 23. The 436th Chemical
                  Company of the Texas Army National Guard is stationed at
                  Fort Bragg, North Carolina waiting for deployment to
                  Afghanistan. They recently got news that their deployment
                  was delayed, so now they are able to spend the holidays with
                  their families, and Southwest Airlines is making it
                  possible! Southwest Airlines is flying 171 soldiers out of
                  Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Sunday.  All
                  the soldiers will be headed to Texas to spend time with
                  their loved ones before shipping out to Afghanistan.
                  Southwest Airlines is proud of its commitment to the
                  soldiers and happy to send them home for the holidays.

    WHO:          Texas Army National Guard
                  Southwest Airlines Employees
                  Southwest Airlines Customers
                  Families welcoming soldiers home

    WHEN:         Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007
                  9:00 am

    WHERE:        Raleigh-Durham International Airport
                  Southwest Airlines Gate Area

                  ***MEDIA***
                  For questions, interviews, or escort to gate area, please
                  call: Glen English, Southwest Airlines, (919) 345-3186.

    VISUALS:  --  Interviews with Texas Army National Guard soldiers.
              --  Southwest Employees and Customers welcoming the soldiers.
              --  Gate area decorated with balloons and "welcome home"
                  banners.
              --  Families embracing loved ones.

    OTHER
    FACTS:  Southwest Airlines is proud of its long-time commitment to
            supporting U.S. troops. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), operates
            more than 3,400 daily nonstop flights to 64 cities in 32 states.
            Southwest Airlines employs more than 33,000 people throughout the
            Southwest system.

                           http://www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines