Will Southwest Airlines Layoffs Include Workers At BWI Airport?

LINTHICUM, MD — Southwest Airlines announced Monday that it will terminate 1,750 employees in the company's first mass layoff in its 53-year history.

The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday that Southwest will not lay off any of its 5,200 workers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

"This announcement affects corporate and non-contract employees and has no effect on any Southwest operations," airline spokesperson Alyssa Foster told The Sun.

Southwest said the layoffs represent about 15% of corporate positions. The airline is eliminating 11 senior leadership positions ranked vice president and above. The layoffs also include 15% of the company's senior management committee.

Most of the layoffs will be done by the end of the second quarter.

Southwest estimates that it will save about $210 million for the rest of this year and around $300 million next year. The savings do not include the $60 million to $80 million budgeted for severance packages.

Southwest President, CEO and Board Vice Chairman Bob Jordan called the layoffs "unprecedented."

"Change requires that we make difficult decisions. We are at a pivotal moment as we transform Southwest Airlines into a leaner, faster, and more agile organization," Jordan said in a press release. "I arrived at this decision thoughtfully and carefully, knowing how hard it will be to say goodbye to colleagues who have been a significant part of our Southwest Culture and accomplishments. I’m grateful to all Southwest Employees who have shared in our legendary history and to those that will guide us into the next era of Southwest Airlines."

Most of the commercial flights at BWI Airport are operated by Southwest. The airline owns 71% of the airport's market share, having flown nearly 19.1 million BWI passengers last year.

BWI Airport is Southwest's largest hub on the East Coast, flying to 79 nonstop destinations out of Baltimore.

That route list includes these six new flights that will debut this June:

• Long Beach, California.
• Ontario, California.
• Portland, Oregon.
• San Francisco, California.
• San Jose, California.
• Seattle, Washington.

Related: New Flights At BWI Airport: Southwest Adds 6 Routes To West Coast