Three-and-a-half years after launching its first international flights, Southwest Airlines is looking abroad again with plans to add cargo service to several Mexican cities later this year, the company announced Monday.
Southwest said it will start service to four destinations "” Mexico City, Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta "” this May, with plans to add more markets throughout the year. The Dallas-based carrier said it still needs government approval but seemed confident that won"™t hold up its plans.
"By offering the cross-border services that our customers are looking for, we"™re able to help meet the needs of businesses throughout the United States and, soon, in Mexico," Matt Buckley, Southwest"™s vice president of cargo and charters, said in a prepared statement. "As we enter the international cargo market for the first time, customers will have more opportunities to experience the friendly and reliable service for which our cargo team is known."
Spokesman Dan Landson said Southwest expects to carry a variety of cargo to and from Mexico, including fresh foods and seafood, pharmaceuticals and e-commerce goods.
The launch of international service is enabled by a new technology system to handle sales and back office accounting that"™s being rolled out next month.
In 2017, cargo accounted for about $173 million, a 1.2 percent increase from the previous year. It"™s still a fraction of Southwest"™s overall revenue of $21.2 billion, the vast majority of which comes from passenger fares…
