Clockwise from top left: Travel Weekly aviation editor Robert Silk, host Rebecca Tobin and airlines expert Gary Leff of the "View From the Wing" site.
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Southwest is having an unusual moment: An aviation industry stalwart that's typically posted solid results, it has attracted the attention of activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which has been demanding change. Just this week, Southwest announced it would rejigger its board, an attempt to stave off a proxy battle.
In the days just ahead of the board shakeup, host Rebecca Tobin, aviation editor Robby Silk and guest Gary Leff, author of the View from the Wing blog, discussed Southwest's headwinds, why Elliott is so keen to make changes and why Southwest is such an unusual company in the aviation space.
This episode was recorded Thursday, Sept. 5, and has been edited for length and clarity. The episode was recorded before Southwest announced its changes to its board, so the episode contains discussions about what Southwest might do to appease Elliott that does not include this information.
Episode sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways
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Gary Leff's View from the Wing blog
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