Skift Take
Herb Kelleher changed how airlines all over the world operate by building a behemoth low-cost carrier. He will be missed.
Herb Kelleher, the Southwest Airlines co-founder and former CEO who sketched the idea for what would become the world's most influential low-cost-carrier on a napkin in a San Antonio restaurant more than 50 years ago, has died. He was 87.
"Today, we've lost our beloved friend Herb," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said Thursday in a video message. "Herb loved people. He loved life, and without a doubt he loved Southwest Airlines."
In the history of aviation, few have changed travel as much as Kelleher, a lawyer who invented a new kind of airline, the short-haul, low-cost-carrier. At a time when U.S. airlines were heavily regulated, with high fares, Kelleher realized passengers would jump at lower prices, with few frills, if given the chance.
The operation started humbly in 1971, with just four airplanes serving three Texas cities. Out of necessity, Kelleher learned to how to cut costs where ever he could, turning airplanes as quickly as 10 minutes, while cutting back on extras like snacks. When other airlines served full meals, Southwest handed out peanuts.
Along the way, Kelleher liked to have fun too, a major reason his employees liked him so much. He emerged as a beloved master mark
