I’m back with another Cranky Flier Interview, presented by Ontario International Airport. It’s time once again for the annual chat with Southwest Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Watterson. We usually do this in person at the Boyd conference, but this year, well, a phone will have to do.
It wouldn’t be a podcast with Andrew if I didn’t talk about the MAX, so we did and got that out of the way quickly. Then we delved into the pandemic and the future. We even talked about the ability of the body to fight off COVID. Seriously. Andrew is well-versed in this stuff, as you’ll learn in this 23 minute chat.
Listen below, click to download the episode, or listen to Cranky Talk on Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts.
A big thank you once again to our presenting sponsor, Ontario International Airport right here in Southern California. ONT continues to see increases in both passenger traffic and cargo. Passenger numbers continue to rise faster than the national CBP/TSA stats as I touched on at crankyflier.com on July 28. Cargo shipments — including important PPE — have seen growth speed up. ONT is now seeing a 28% tonnage increase year over year.
In the terminals, Ontario has been working on making a clean and easy experience for all guests. ONT was the first airport in the nation to install UVC light self-cleaning technology on escalators. Overall, there’s increased cleaning and disinfecting in all areas. It’s a good time to remind travelers that masks must be worn at all times at ONT. The airport has installed PPE vending machines for those who forget to bring their own.For more visit flyontario.com/COVID19.
1 comment on “The Cranky Flier Interview #18: Southwest Airlines Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew Watterson”
I saw today that Southwest has elected NOT to participate in the second part of the Cares Act. Evidently, they feel that they either have enough cash available or that they can borrow elsewhere at better rates than Uncle Sam is offering. This somewhat follows up on Mr. Watterson’s views on the podcast that a vaccine may be available next year. Still, a somewhat gutsy decision to decline the Federal loan.