SOUTHWEST AIRLINES COLUV
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO Leases Disclosure
LEASES
The Company enters into leases for aircraft, property, and other types of equipment in the normal course of business. As allowed under ASC 842, Leases, the Company has elected a practical expedient to exclude from recognition lease assets and lease liabilities associated with leases that have an initial term of twelve months or less. Such expense was not material for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company held aircraft leases with remaining terms extending up to eight years. The aircraft leases generally can be renewed for three months to three years at rates based on the fair market value at the end of the lease term. Residual value guarantees included in the Company's lease agreements are not material. The lease return costs incurred by the Company for returns completed in 2025 were $33 million, recognized as a component of Other operating expenses but were not material for all other periods presented.
In fourth quarter 2024, the Company entered into an agreement with UMB Bank, N.A. ("UMB Bank") involving the sale of 36 of the Company’s -800 aircraft that qualified as sale-leaseback arrangements under applicable accounting guidance. Of the 36 -800 sale-leasebacks, 35 were executed in fourth quarter 2024 and one was executed in first quarter 2025. The Company sold the 35 -800 aircraft in fourth quarter 2024 to UMB Bank for $871 million, then immediately leased the aircraft back for approximately to three years. In first quarter 2025, the Company sold one -800 aircraft to UMB Bank for $24 million, then immediately leased the aircraft back for approximately three years. As such, 36 aircraft were de-recognized from Property and equipment at their remaining net book values at the time of sale. All of the leases from the sale-leasebacks are accounted for as operating leases, and thus are now reflected as part of the Company’s Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. The -800 sale-leaseback transaction resulted in a recognized gain of $92 million and operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities of $319 million in fourth quarter 2024 and resulted in a recognized gain of $3 million and operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities of $9 million in first quarter
2025. These gains were reflected within Other operating expenses, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.
Throughout 2024, the Company entered into agreements with third parties to purchase two -700 aircraft, both of which were already in the Company's fleet under finance lease terms, one -800 aircraft, and the airframe of one -800 aircraft, both of which were already in the Company's fleet under operating lease terms. The Company paid the lessors $45 million in 2024, of which $3 million was recorded as the elimination of the Company's remaining finance lease obligation for the aircraft, and which was also reflected within Payments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and $2 million was recorded as the elimination of the Company's remaining operating lease obligation for the aircraft, and which was also reflected within Changes in Other noncurrent assets in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The remaining $40 million was the net purchase price of the aircraft and is included as part of the Company's Capital expenditures for 2024. There was no gain or loss recorded as a result of these transactions. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has 82 operating and 15 finance leased aircraft remaining in its fleet.
In second and third quarter 2023, the Company also entered into additional transactions with third parties to purchase four -700 aircraft, all of which were already in the Company's fleet under finance lease terms. The Company paid the lessors $44 million in 2023, of which $3 million was recorded as the elimination of the Company's remaining finance lease obligation for the aircraft, and which was also reflected within Payments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The remaining $41 million was the net purchase price of the aircraft and is included as part of the Company's Capital expenditures for 2023. There was no gain or loss recorded as a result of these transactions.
In first quarter 2023, the Company completed the purchase of eight -700 aircraft from an aircraft sale agreement with AerCap Ireland Limited (“AerCap”) to purchase a total of 39 -700 aircraft, all of which were already in the Company's fleet under finance lease terms. The Company completed the purchase of the other 31 of these aircraft during fourth quarter 2022. The Company paid the lessor 88 million in first quarter 2023 as part of this transaction, of which $50 million was recorded as the elimination of the Company’s remaining finance lease obligation for the aircraft, and which was also reflected within Payments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The remaining $38 million was the net purchase price of the aircraft and is included as part of the Company’s Capital expenditures for first quarter 2023. There was no gain or loss recorded as a result of these transactions.
At each airport where the Company conducts flight operations, the Company has lease agreements, generally with a governmental unit or authority, for the use of airport terminals, airfields, office space, cargo warehouses, gates, and/or maintenance facilities. These leases are classified as operating lease agreements and have remaining lease terms extending up to 35 years. Certain leases can be renewed from one year to 11 years. The majority of the airport terminal leases contain certain provisions for periodic adjustments to rates that depend upon airport operating costs or use of the facilities, and are reset at least annually. Because of the variable nature of these rates, these leases are not recorded as a right-of-use asset or a lease liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
The Company also leases certain technology assets, fuel storage tanks, and various other equipment that qualify as leases under the applicable accounting guidance with lease terms extending up to five years. Certain leases can be renewed to one year.
Lease-related assets and liabilities recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet were as follows:
| (in millions) | Balance Sheet location | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||
| Operating | Operating lease right-of-use assets (net) | $ | 1,089 | $ | 1,369 | |||||||||
| Finance | (net of allowance for depreciation and amortization of $440 million and $452 million) | 82 | 102 | |||||||||||
| Total lease assets | $ | 1,171 | $ | 1,471 | ||||||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||||||||
| Current | ||||||||||||||
| Operating | Current operating lease liabilities | $ | 312 | $ | 328 | |||||||||
| Finance | 25 | 22 | ||||||||||||
| Noncurrent | ||||||||||||||
| Operating | Noncurrent operating lease liabilities | 768 | 1,031 | |||||||||||
| Finance | 53 | 69 | ||||||||||||
| Total lease liabilities | $ | 1,158 | $ | 1,450 | ||||||||||
The components of lease costs, included in the Consolidated Statement of Income, were as follows:
| Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating lease cost - aircraft (a) | $ | 291 | $ | 186 | $ | 186 | |||||||||||
| Operating lease cost - other | 72 | 77 | 89 | ||||||||||||||
| Short-term lease cost | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Variable lease cost | 2,130 | 1,916 | 1,733 | ||||||||||||||
| Amortization of finance lease assets | 29 | 35 | 44 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest on finance lease liabilities | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Total net lease cost | $ | 2,529 | $ | 2,220 | $ | 2,059 | |||||||||||
(a) Net of sublease income of $1 million and $7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases, included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, was as follows:
| Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating cash flows for operating leases | $ | 346 | $ | 258 | $ | 251 | |||||||||||
| Operating cash flows for finance leases | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Financing cash flows for finance leases | 22 | 26 | 32 | ||||||||||||||
As of December 31, 2025, maturities of lease liabilities were as follows:
(in millions) | Operating leases | Finance leases | |||||||||
| 2026 | $ | 345 | $ | 27 | |||||||
| 2027 | 248 | 24 | |||||||||
| 2028 | 179 | 17 | |||||||||
| 2029 | 142 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2030 | 86 | 4 | |||||||||
| Thereafter | 244 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total lease payments | $ | 1,244 | $ | 84 | |||||||
| Less imputed interest | (164) | (6) | |||||||||
| Total lease obligations | $ | 1,080 | $ | 78 | |||||||
| Less current obligations | (312) | (25) | |||||||||
| Long-term lease obligations | $ | 768 | $ | 53 | |||||||
The table below presents additional information related to the Company's leases:
| Weighted average remaining lease term | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||||||||
| Operating leases | 6 years | 6 years | |||||||||
| Finance leases | 4 years | 4 years | |||||||||
| Weighted average discount rate | |||||||||||
| Operating leases | 4.2 | % | 4.1 | % | |||||||
| Finance leases | 4.0 | % | 4.0 | % | |||||||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 5, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 7, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 6, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 7, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 7, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 8, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 4, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 5, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 7, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 7, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 3, 2016 | |
About Leases Disclosures
Lease disclosures under ASC 842 provide a comprehensive view of a company's leased asset portfolio, including the split between operating and finance leases, discount rates used to present-value future payments, and the maturity schedule of lease obligations. This section reveals a significant source of off-balance-sheet commitments that were largely hidden before the current standard.
Key signals: the weighted-average discount rate affects the size of recorded lease liabilities — a higher rate reduces the reported obligation, so compare the chosen rate against the company's incremental borrowing rate. The operating versus finance lease mix affects both EBITDA and operating income presentation. Watch the maturity table for concentration risk: large payment cliffs in specific years may create cash flow pressure. Variable lease payments excluded from the liability measurement represent real obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet. Compare total lease costs against prior-year operating lease expense to assess the true economic burden.