He happened to be Lord of the world's largest low-cost airline

Herb Kelleher has died the age of 87. The founder of Southwest Airlines once declared that he had understood at the Start of air travel. And that is exactly what had been its big advantage.

Like so many ideas for Southwest Airlines started on a napkin. Lawyer Herbert D. Kelleher met in the autumn of 1966 in the St. Anthony Club in San Antonio with his customers and entrepreneur Rollin King. The had observed the rise of Pacific Southwest Airlines in California – the first cheap airline in the United States. This success is the two copy wanted.

Did Kelleher and King to be very successful. Southwest Airlines today with a fleet of 742 Boeing 737, around 150 million passengers a year and 58,000 employees and is the largest cheap airline in the world. The rise of Kelleher, who just wanted to be Herb called, until recently, closely accompanied. The lover of Bourbon Whiskey, and avid smoker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board remained in use until 2008. On Thursday (3. January), he died at the age of 87 years. "Herb was a pioneer, a fighter and an Innovator," said the airline in a statement. His Vision revolutionized the commercial air travel and the sky democratized.

Four And A Half Years Of Struggle

Actually, Kelleher had planned his career quite differently. After a degree in English and philosophy, the young man from New Jersey had legal training. His profession, he wanted to exercise but elsewhere, and so he moved to Texas entrepreneurs and companies to advise start-UPS. There, King came up with the idea of establishing a cheap airline to him. "I helped, that I absolutely nothing of the aviation mind," said Kelleher once the radio station NPR. So he had to start Rollin in the case of Zero and many things to be different than the existing provider.

The Start was difficult. Although the two founders were able to collect $ 500,000 start-up capital, and thought, as long as they remained in Texas, the laws of the market and price control. But competitors Braniff, Trans-Texas Airways and Continental Airlines entangled the young competitor in political and legal disputes. Four and a half years fought Kelleher and the way to the Supreme court of the United States. The judges gave him right, and Southwest was able to on 18. June 1971 to start.

Lack of money brought efficiency

The battle had, however, cost a lot of money. "In the meantime we had no more money and the Supervisory Board wanted to close the company," said Kelleher in the NPR Interview. Just because he renounced his salary and the legal costs took over from there, even, remained Southwest Airlines alive. Also, after the first flights between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio not much room for manoeuvre there was. "Actually, we planned our flight plan with four aircraft. But we had to sell one, to pay the wages," says Kelleher.

Therefore, you have to learn to work extremely efficiently. Up to 45 percent cheaper Southwest Airlines could be. To date, the airline company, these Esprit through to make it. Since 1973, the company writes continuously for a profit. The big boom it has experienced since 1978 when the US deregulated the air transport market.

You can see in the above image gallery images from the history of Southwest Airlines.

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