Southwest Airlines reported its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results on January 25th, posting an expected loss but beating Wall Street estimates and projecting better times ahead. The airline has faced numerous challenges over the past year, from high fuel costs to operational meltdowns, but the latest earnings report indicates Southwest is getting back on track financially.
Q4 Performance Exceeds Expectations
While Southwest reported a net loss of $220 million in the fourth quarter, this was narrower than the $278 million loss analysts had forecasted. Furthermore, earnings per share came in at a loss of 37 cents, significantly better than expectations of a 50 cent per share loss.
A key factor driving this outperformance was stronger than predicted operating revenues, which rose over 28% from Q4 2022 to $6.2 billion. Southwest attributed this revenue boost to “solid holiday travel demand and increasing base fares” as the airline worked to restore profitability. Total operating expenses also only increased about 10% year-over-year, reflecting the carrier’s moves to contain costs.
Key Q4 2023 Financial Metrics for Southwest Airlines:
| Metric | Result | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Net Income | -$220 million | -$407 million |
| Earnings Per Share | -37 cents | -41 cents |
| Operating Revenues | $6.2 billion | +28.2% |
| Operating Expenses | $6.6 billion | +9.9% |
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan commented that the company still has more work to do operationally and financially but that he was encouraged by the improving trajectory. While a loss is never ideal, Southwest’s Q4 beat indicates the airline is bouncing back from its 2022 struggles.
2023 Challenges Weigh on Full Year Performance
Although Q4 brought good news for Southwest, its full year 2023 results remain weighed down by the operational issues and demand fluctuations experienced earlier in 2022. For the 12 months ended December 31st, 2023, Southwest posted:
- A $639 million net loss compared to $973 million in net income the prior year
- An operating revenues decline of 2.7% to $25.8 billion
- A load factor decrease of half a point to 84.2%
The steep drop-off in profitability after a record 2021 performance reflects the many external shocks Southwest has contended with since early 2022. First was the rise in jet fuel prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which added over $2.4 billion to Southwest’s fuel costs last year. Then came a debilitating winter storm over Christmas that caused over 16,000 flight cancellations and stranded thousands of passengers.
While outside Southwest’s control, these events put immense strain on the airline’s finances and service levels in 2023. As the year progressed, Southwest made enhancing operational resilience a key priority, while trying to preserve cash flow via adjusted flight schedules. This defensive posture meant sacrificing some revenue but was necessary to recover from the holiday disruptions.
Signs of Renewed Demand Momentum
Despite the full year revenue decline, Southwest saw demand trends pick up steam in the back half of 2023. Load factor averaged 85% in both Q3 and Q4 as travelers returned to the skies. This demand revival allowed Southwest to raise fares while keeping planes filled, driving sequential revenue growth all through the second half of 2023:
Southwest Airlines Quarterly Operating Revenues:
| Quarter | Operating Revenues | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2023 | $4.7 billion | -10.2% |
| Q2 2023 | $6.7 billion | 8.9% |
| Q3 2023 | $6.2 billion | 16.6% |
| Q4 2023 | $6.2 billion | 28.2% |
Southwest also reported strong booking momentum carrying over into the new year, with first quarter 2024 operating revenues expected to jump approximately 14% year-over-year. This outlook suggests customers are regaining confidence in Southwest’s operations and responding to its route network enhancements.
Restoring passenger trust has been a top focus for Southwest as it aims to move firmly past the holiday travel crisis. While rebuilding margins and profits will take more time, early 2024 booking trends indicate fliers are ready to fly Southwest again.
Cost Control Efforts Position Southwest to Capitalize on Rebound
With demand appearing primed to continue recovering through 2024, Southwest has worked aggressively over the past year to improve efficiency. Getting costs under control as revenues re-scale will be key to restoring profitability after a money-losing 2023.
The airline is on track to deliver $700 million of incremental cost savings this year through fleet modernization programs, fuel efficiency upgrades, and innovations like self-service bag drops. 2023’s extreme fuel price volatility also prompted Southwest to hedge future years at reasonable rates, providing cost visibility. The company now has approximately 30% of its expected 2024 fuel consumption hedged at $63 per barrel.
Southwest is likewise taking a disciplined approach to capacity growth coming off last year’s cuts, now planning for available seat mile expansion of 10% in Q1 2024 and 8% for full-year 2024. Avoidinggetting ahead of demand trends will help keep planes full and unit revenues steady. CEO Bob Jordan summarized the strategy nicely:
“While we still have more work ahead operationally and financially, I’m encouraged by the momentum we have exiting 2023 and turning towards 2024.”
With the right building blocks in place on costs and capacity, Southwest seems prepared to leverage the ongoing travel recovery.
Key 2024 Priorities: Operational Excellence and Customer Service
As Southwest looks to fully bounce back on both operational and financial fronts this year, management called out two areas of focus for 2024 – delivering reliability for customers and improving productivity.
On the operations side, Southwest is working to upgrade legacy IT systems, streamline aircraft turns, and schedule flights with more padding. This will reduce the chance of disruption while creating capacity for future growth. Southwest is also trying to preserve labor harmony after tense union negotiations last year, knowing it needs all employees aligned during the rebound.
To provide excellent service for fliers, Southwest continues staffing up, having hired over 18,000 new employees since 2021 while boosting pay. With its renowned LUV culture and friendly policies around bags, change fees, and open seating, satisfied customers have long fueled Southwest’s success. Rebuilding customer loyalty figures centrally in its 2024 goals.
If early bookings and cost cutting achievements translate into smoother, more reliable operations this year, Southwest looks poised to leave recent troubles behind and get back to profitably doing what it does best – offering exceptional value to leisure and price-sensitive travelers.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
