Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) realigns executive salaries and incentives to airline peers
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Southwest Airlines Co. updated senior leadership pay structures after a review of compensation at major U.S. airlines. On August 5, 2026, the board’s Compensation Committee approved new annual base salaries and long-term incentive opportunity targets, effective August 15, 2026, for key officers, including the named executive officers.
President, Chief Executive Officer & Vice Chairman Bob Jordan’s base salary was set at $1,225,000, with a long-term incentive opportunity target of 1200% of base salary and a short-term incentive target of 200%. The Chief Operating Officer’s base salary was set at $815,000 with a 500% long-term and 150% short-term incentive target. Three Executive Vice Presidents each received a base salary of $805,000, with 500% long-term and 135% short-term incentive targets. The Committee aligned compensation more closely with the average total direct compensation of American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Airlines Holdings, Inc., using reported 2025 peer data without aging it forward.
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Filing Explained
The filing describes the long-term and short-term incentive figures as opportunity targets, so they establish a potential compensation framework rather than reporting that those amounts have been paid.
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
long-term incentive opportunity target financial
short-term incentive opportunity target financial
total direct compensation financial
airline peer group financial
proxy statements financial
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FAQ
What executive compensation changes did Southwest Airlines (LUV) approve in August 2026?
What is Southwest Airlines (LUV) CEO Bob Jordan’s new salary and incentive structure?
How were Southwest Airlines (LUV) executive pay benchmarks determined?
Which Southwest Airlines (LUV) officers besides the CEO received updated compensation targets?
Why did Southwest Airlines (LUV) decide to realign executive compensation in 2026?
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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| Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
Item 5.02(e)
On August 5, 2026, the Compensation Committee (“Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Southwest Airlines Co. (the “Company”) approved changes to annual base salaries, effective August 15, 2026, and long-term incentive opportunity targets for certain officers of the Company, including the Company’s named executive officers. The Committee also recommended, and the independent directors of the Board approved, changes to Bob Jordan’s annual base salary, effective August 15, 2026, and long-term incentive opportunity target.
As part of the Committee’s annual executive compensation review performed in late 2025 and early 2026 to establish current year compensation, the Committee’s independent compensation consultant considered American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., United Airlines Holdings, Inc., Alaska Air Group, Inc., and JetBlue Airways Corporation to be the most relevant airline peers. The comparative airline data utilized was based on 2024 compensation reported in these airlines’ 2025 proxy statements and was not aged forward to estimate 2025 or 2026 airline peer compensation. The independent consultant provided the Committee with data representing the average for the largest three airlines (American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.), a smaller carrier average (Alaska Air Group, Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corporation), and the midpoint between the largest three airline average and the smaller carrier average.
In light of the success of the Company’s transformation, the related evolution in the scope and complexity of senior executive roles, and the heightened risk of losing key senior executive talent, as evidenced by external recruiting activity involving members of the Company’s senior leadership team, in May 2026, the Committee requested that the independent compensation consultant reassess the Company’s airline peer group and related compensation benchmarking methodology.
In August 2026, after considering updated market data, the Company’s size and scale relative to its airline peers, including revenues and market capitalization, the increasing comparability of the Company’s product and commercial offerings with those of the largest U.S.-based airlines, and the importance of attracting and retaining senior executive talent, the Committee determined to align executive compensation more closely with the average total direct compensation of the Company’s three most relevant U.S.-based airline peers: American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. In making this determination, the Committee used reported 2025 peer compensation data, as disclosed in the peers’ 2026 proxy statements, and did not age that data forward to estimate 2026 compensation or project future market movement. The Committee believed this approach would position executive compensation within a reasonable range of the referenced airline peer market, and the use of unaged data was expected to result in compensation levels modestly below the 2026 market position for those peers.
Below are the approved changes to the named executive officers’ annual base salaries and long-term incentive opportunity targets as a percentage of base salary, as well as the named executive officers’ current short-term incentive opportunity targets as a percentage of base salary.
| Name |
Title |
Modified Base Salary (effective August 15, 2026) |
Modified Long-Term Incentive Opportunity Target (Percentage of Base Salary) |
Short-Term Incentive Opportunity Target (Percentage of Base Salary) | ||||
| Bob Jordan | President, Chief Executive Officer & Vice Chairman of the Board | $1,225,000 | 1200% | 200% | ||||
| Andrew Watterson | Chief Operating Officer | $815,000 | 500% | 150% | ||||
| Tom Doxey | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | $805,000 | 500% | 135% | ||||
| Justin Jones | Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer | $805,000 | 500% | 135% | ||||
| Anthony Roach | Executive Vice President & Chief Customer & Brand Officer | $805,000 | 500% | 135% |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | ||||||
| August 7, 2026 | By: | /s/ Jeff Novota | ||||
| Jeff Novota | ||||||
| Senior Vice President Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | ||||||