Southwest Expands Operations and Training

Robert W. Moorman reports that Southwest Airlines looks to Denver as a supplemental training site for a wide range of employees.

Since its founding in 1966 by Herbert Kelleher and Rollin King, Southwest Airlines has been inventive, opportunistic and growth oriented. The iconic low-cost carrier was profitable for 47 consecutive years, from 1973-2019.

Air travelers might remember Southwest’s operational troubles during the busy Christmas season in December 2022, which caused the cancellation of 16,900 flights. Nevertheless, the Dallas Love Field-based carrier’s long-term expansion plans remain intact in the post- Covid pandemic world.

Part of that growth plan included launching air service in January 2006 from Denver International Airport (DEN). Despite the dominance there of United Airlines, Southwest saw domestic and international expansion opportunities from the mile high city hub.

The pandemic also presented the airline with a “unique growth opportunity as people were looking for outdoor destinations, for which Colorado is famous,” Southwest said.

SWAU Marks Southwest’s Strategic Pivot

The airline employs more than 7,000 people in Colorado presently. Most staff positions are focused on supporting the Denver operation. To meet projected growth, Southwest determined that an additional training facility for airline personnel was needed. This 2 April, 2025, Southwest unveiled its new 23,000 square-foot Southwest Airlines University (SWAU) adjacent to the airport.

“Southwest's new employee training center in Denver is more than a response to operational demand, it’s a clear marker of Southwest’s strategic pivot,” Grant Holve, Lead Analyst, Commercial Aerospace at Forecast International said. “With Elliott Investment Management’s influence and a restructured board, the airline is moving away from its traditional low-cost carrier model and toward the profile of a full-fledged legacy airline.”

SWAU is part of the Southwest Airlines Training Department. Most of the carrier’s Denver-based employees will utilize the new facility as part of their training curriculum. SWAU also will provide virtual training for various employee groups.

SWAU is part of the Colorado Aerotropolis collaboration between Adams County; the cities of Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights and Thornton; and the City and County of Denver and the airport.

CAT spoke with Stephen Ingram, Managing Director of Learning within Southwest’s training department, following SWAU’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

Asked why Denver and why now, Ingram said: “It was getting to the point with our commitment toward growth that we needed to consider what the investment looked like to provide training for thousands of our employees,” Ingram said and added, “We saw an opportunity to expand our training footprint by going into Denver.”

Ingram, a 21-year Southwest veteran, is responsible for leading training for the airline’s Ground Operations, Flight Attendants, and Customer CARE Employees. In addition to SWAU, Ingram has held numerous positions in various departments, including, Technical Operations, Operations Strategy and Performance Teams.

SWAU ‘s evolving training program will include simulation trainers, scenario and procedures training, as well as distance learning.

The Denver center provides initial and recurrent training for ground operations personnel mostly, including customer service, ramp, operations agents and cargo workers.

Ingram said there is room at SWAU to provide training for other disciplines and the school could make space available for potential business partners.

The airline’s pilots will continue to receive initial and recurrent training at Southwest’s Corporate Campus in Dallas.

Flight attendants receive four weeks of initial training in Dallas, where crew training includes learning emergency procedures, egress training on safely exiting the aircraft, administering first aid, ditching and operating emergency equipment.

Because Southwest flight attendants are based at 12 different locations throughout the US, there isn’t, as yet, the need for a large facility to conduct recurrent training. SWAU could serve one day as a site for flight attendant recurrent training. Between 1,500-2,000 flight attendants are based in Denver. Not all live in the metro area.

Most Southwest employees are paid per diem for hours-spent training. Employees are not paid for Online Distance Learning typically.

Flight attendants and front-line employees receive enhanced safety and de-escalation training. “Taking the stress out of the situation with the passenger” is a principal reason for de-escalation training, Ingram said.

Asked if Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be part of SWAU’s training programs, he added: “AI related training is in its infancy. We don’t have it in the curriculum presently.  But I see some AI-related opportunities, which could begin with curriculum design,” which tailors teaching materials and methods to the individual student’s needs. Adaptive learning pathways could be developed through the use of AI.

“We are looking at how AI can help formulate policies and guidance,” Ingram said. “We are being slow and cautious regarding AI for the moment.”

Planned AQP Participation

SWAU will be part of FAA’s Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) eventually. Although voluntary, FAA Flight Standards Service encourages airlines to participate in AQP, which is an alternative means of compliance to the traditional requirements under 14 CFR Parts 121 and 135.

Said Southwest:  The data-driven program provides “real-world scenario-based training for pilots, flight attendants and dispatchers. The scenarios focus on critical thinking, problem solving, crew communication and coordination.”

SWAU’s AQP program for flight attendants is moving forward with the addition of cabin simulators at each training location to provide a more realistic cabin environment. “Data collection and official FAA approval of flight attendant annual Continuing Qualification training is expected in the near future,” Southwest stated.

Laying the Future Workforce Foundation

On how Southwest was responding to the challenges to recruit pilots and other employees, Ingram said: “It is always a challenge. We hope our culture is a differentiator. We try to recruit the best people.”

CAT obtained additional information and context from Southwest regarding hiring.

In 2023, Southwest announced plans to hire 8,000 more employees to fill gap from the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced layoffs of thousands of airline employees in various jobs.

“2023 was a vastly different year in the airline industry,” according to a company spokesman. “We were seeing record load factors coming out of the pandemic and we were hiring as quick as we could.”

That picture has changed, according to the spokesman: “As reported in the last few months, demand has softened and now we are adjusting to those new trends. While we’ve slowed hiring in some parts of the business, we’ve continued to hire in others, including for inflight positions as well as ground operations and other airport-based roles.”

Southwest did not have projected hiring numbers to share. Staffing levels are dependent on flight level activity to ensure sufficient support of its scheduled operations.

Regarding the need for additional training venues, SWAU Vice President Bobby Loeb said: “… Our [SWAU] training center allows us to invest in our people by offering the latest tools, enhanced training environments and functional spaces to maintain a focus on safety as we continue growing and serving the Denver community.”

But there are other equally compelling reasons to train for the future.

Summed Forecast’s Holve: “Competing with Delta, United and American means scaling Southwest’s operations and infrastructure. Facilities like this lay the groundwork for a business model no longer centered solely on low fares and customer service but on increased market share, global reach, and the full-service business model that defines legacy carriers."

Southwest isn’t alone—United Airlines also launched a major training hub, expanding flight attendant education near Washington Dulles.

For more on how Southwest is addressing recent safety concerns through pilot-specific training, see Robert Moorman’s feature on Ops Day.