Southwest Airlines Announces Appointment of Rakesh Gangwal to Board of Directors

The board of directors of Southwest Airlines Co. has appointed Rakesh Gangwal as a member. He will join the board on July 7.

Gangwal has extensive and extensive experience in the aviation industry and is the co-founder of India’s largest airline by fleet size and passenger capacity, InterGlobe Aviation, popularly known as IndiGo. Before co-founding IndiGo in 2006, Gangwal served as chairman, president and CEO of Worldspan Technologies, a provider of technology and information services to the travel and transportation industries. Prior to Worldspan, Gangwal served as chairman and CEO of US Airways Group and previously as COO. Gangwal previously held executive positions at Air France and United Airlines.

“I am pleased to welcome Rakesh, who brings decades of valuable experience as an executive and entrepreneur with some of the world’s leading airlines to our Board,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board. “Having co-founded IndiGo and grown it into India’s largest airline, Rakesh knows the importance of building a business that has both a distinct culture and sustainable profitability.”

“I have long admired Southwest Airlines and am honored to join its board of directors,” said Gangwal. “I, along with the rest of the board, look forward to supporting the company’s strategic direction and building on its well-deserved reputation as one of the most admired and respected airlines in the world.”

“Rakesh’s expertise in travel technology will be valuable as we continue to invest in support of our operations and strategic initiatives,” added Kelly. “We look forward to working with Rakesh and leveraging his insights to best serve our customers, do right by our employees and drive long-term shareholder value.”

In addition to serving on the board of InterGlobe Aviation, Gangwal has also served on the boards of several other public companies, including US Airways Group, CarMax, Office Depot, OfficeMax and PetSmart. Gangwal earned a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Gangwal’s appointment continues a deliberate effort by the Board to expand its composition to include professionals with a diverse range of skills and experience in areas critical to Southwest Airlines’ business, including aviation, travel, finance, technology, consumer services, government affairs, human capital, environment and sustainability, and logistics and operations. As part of this ongoing refreshment effort, the Board has appointed a total of eight new independent and highly qualified Directors, including Gangwal, over the past three years.