SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. OUTSIDE DIRECTOR INCENTIVE PLAN
Published on July 20, 2007
Exhibit 10.2
SOUTHWEST
AIRLINES CO.
OUTSIDE
DIRECTOR INCENTIVE PLAN
(as
amended and restated effective May 16, 2007)
1. Purpose. The
purpose of this Plan is to align more closely the interests of the Outside
Directors of Southwest Airlines Co. (the “Company”) with those of the Company’s
Shareholders and to provide the Outside Directors with retirement
income. To accomplish this purpose, the Plan compensates each Outside
Director based on the performance of the Company’s Common Stock and defers the
receipt of such compensation until after the Outside Director ceases to be
a
director of the Company.
2. Definitions. As
used in this Plan, the following words and phrases wherever capitalized shall
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates that a
different meaning is intended:
(a) “Board”
shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) “Committee”
shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board.
(c) “Common
Stock” shall mean Common Stock, par value one dollar ($1.00) per share, of the
Company.
(d) “Company”
shall mean Southwest Airlines Co.
(e)
“Fair Market Value” shall mean, with respect to Common Stock, the average
closing sale price of Common Stock as reported on the New York Stock
Exchange
for the trading days that occur during a specified period.
(f)
“Outside Director” shall mean a non-employee director of the
Company.
(g)
“Performance Bonus” shall, with respect to an Outside Director, have the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 4.
(h)
“Performance Share” shall mean a unit of value equal to the Fair Market Value of
a share of Common Stock.
(i)
“Plan” shall mean the Southwest Airlines Co. Outside Director Incentive Plan, as
amended.
(j)
“Service Ending Date” shall, with respect to any Outside Director, have the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.
3. Performance
Shares.
(a) On
the date of the 2002 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company, the Company
shall grant 750 Performance Shares to each Outside Director who has served
as a
director of the Company since at least May 2001. Thereafter, (i) on
the date of each Annual Meeting of Shareholders beginning in 2003, the Company
shall grant 750 Performance Shares to each Outside Director who has served
since
the previous Annual Meeting; and (ii) on the date of each Annual Meeting of
Shareholders beginning in 2007, the Company shall grant 1,000 Performance Shares
to each Outside Director who has served since the previous Annual
Meeting. No pro-rated grants shall be made. If a Director
retires as of an Annual Meeting date, such Director shall be awarded Performance
Shares for the preceding year if he or she has so served.
(b) The
Company shall appropriately record each grant of Performance Shares on its
books
and shall notify each Outside Director of the number of Performance Shares
granted and such other terms and conditions consistent with the Plan as the
Committee shall determine.
4. Distribution. On
the 30th
calendar day following such date (the “Service Ending Date”) as an Outside
Director shall cease serving as a director of the Company, the Company shall
pay
to such Outside Director an amount (the “Performance Bonus”) equal to the Fair
Market Value of Common Stock during the 30 days preceding such Outside
Director’s Service Ending Date multiplied by the number of Performance Shares
then held by such Outside Director. An Outside Director’s Performance
Bonus shall be paid to him or her in a lump sum. Distribution with respect
to an
Outside Director shall not be made or commence before the Outside Director
ceases serving as a director of the Company. Upon the death of an Outside
Director while serving on the Board, such Outside Director’s Performance Bonus
at the time of his or her death shall be paid to the person who acquires such
right by will or the laws of descent and distribution or otherwise by reason
of
the death of the Outside Director.
5. Administration. The
Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee may, by a writing
signed by a majority of its members, delegate to any member or members of the
Committee or to any Employee or Employees of the Company the authority to
perform any ministerial act in connection with the administration of the
Plan.
The
Committee shall have the authority
to control and manage the operation and administration of the Plan and the
discretion to construe Plan provisions. Subject to the provisions of
the Plan, the Committee may from time to time establish rules for the
administration and interpretation of the Plan. The final
determination of the Committee as to any disputed questions shall be
conclusive.
6. Adjustment
on Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any merger,
reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, separation, spin-off,
liquidation, stock dividend, split-up, share combination, or other change in
the
corporate or capital structure of the Company affecting the Common Stock and
occurring during the term of an Outside Director’s service as a director of the
Company, the number of Performance Shares previously granted to such Outside
Director pursuant to this Plan shall be equitably adjusted to prevent dilution
or enlargement of such Outside Director’s rights hereunder and, if necessary,
provision shall be made for the substitution for the Performance Shares of
new
performance shares related to the securities of a successor corporation or
an
affiliate thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of
securities; provided that the total number of Performance Shares granted
hereunder shall always be a whole number.
The
existence of the Plan and the
Performance Shares granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right
or
power of the Board or the Shareholders of the Company to make or authorize
any
adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization, or other change in the Company’s
capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company,
any issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Common Stock or
the
rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale,
lease, exchange, or other disposition of all or any part of its assets or
business or any other corporate act or proceeding.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Unsecured
Creditor Status. This Plan, the Performance Shares to be granted
pursuant hereto, and the payment of Performance Bonuses as contemplated herein
are intended to constitute an “unfunded” compensation arrangement for tax
purposes and for purposes of Title I of ERISA. The Plan shall not be
construed to create or require the Company to create a trust of any kind to
fund
the amounts payable hereunder. To the extent an Outside Director or
other person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company in accordance
with the Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of any general
unsecured creditor of the Company.
(b) No
Shareholder or Director Rights. The Performance Shares are not
shares of Common Stock of the Company. Neither this Plan nor the
grant of any Performance Shares shall confer on any Outside Director any right
to continue serving as a director of the Company. Neither any Outside
Director nor any beneficiary of an Outside Director shall have any of the rights
of a Shareholder of the Company with respect to the Performance Shares
including, without limitation, any right to receive dividends or dividend
equivalents declared or paid on the Common Stock.
(c) Nontransferability. Performance
Shares may not be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of and may not be
pledged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered, except by will or the laws
of
descent and distribution. The right of any Outside Director or any
beneficiary to payments under the Plan shall not be subject to alienation,
assignment, garnishment, attachment, execution, or levy of any kind, and any
attempt to cause such amounts to be so subjected shall not be recognized by
the
Company.
(d) Amendment
and Termination. The Board reserves the right to amend the Plan
from time to time or terminate the Plan; provided, however, that no such
amendment or termination shall adversely affect the rights of any Outside
Director or beneficiary, without such person’s prior written consent, with
respect to Performance Shares granted prior to such amendment or
termination. Performance Shares granted prior to an amendment or
termination of the Plan shall remain in full force and effect as if the Plan
had
not been amended or terminated.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned certifies that the Board adopted the foregoing
Plan on the 16th day of May 2007.
/s/
Herbert D. Kelleher
|
Herbert
D. Kelleher, Chairman of the Board of Directors of
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Southwest
Airlines Co.
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