The Operational Dance

I am generally in awe of the the whole avaition industry, but especially Southwest. First off, it baffles me that a massive aircraft loaded with passengers, fuel, and bags can actually fly. Seriously, let's take a minute to thank Orville and Wilbur for their amazing contribution. We are talking about thousands of pounds of mass, able to overcome gravity. Wow. Then, to think that our single airline has more than 3,000 of these miraculous takeoffs each day is amazing.

But this week, it has been the amazing operational effiency and servant heart of our leaders that have really amazed me. The fine balance needed to care for our Customers, Employees and operations has been displayed at every level. As Rita headed for the coast, Southwest was committed to serving the people of Houston and Corpus through noon Friday. As other carriers ceased service, we decided to continue flying to honor our commitment. As Houston Employees prepared to evacuate their homes, Employees from all over the country flew in to staff the flights and assist our Customers. As we added flights and legs to transport our Customers to saftey, it was unbelievable to see how each piece of the organization came together in an operational dance that was well orchestrated despite the uncertainties ahead. Dispatch secured the aircraft, crew scheduling made sure that there would be pilots to fly the extra flights, and Flight Attendants there to keep our Customers safe. Purchasing secured hotel rooms for our Employees as they evacuated. Maintenance sent down Mechanics to HOU to add fuel to the aircraft. Every single person knew the role he or she played in this intricate dance, and did so with amazing effiency, leadership, and grace.

Although I pray that we don't have another crisis to deal with for a while, the way everone played his or her part was a beafutiful sight to see.