Defined Benefit (Pension) · DOL Form 5500 · 2024

Southwest Airlines Co. Pension Plan

Data updated 2026-08-06

$41M
Total assets
9,612
Participants
82nd
Percentile by assets
$4,244
Avg per participant
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Official DOL plan name: Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan · Sponsored by Southwest Airlines Co. · Texas · Transportation & Warehousing

$41M in assets, 9,612 participants

Southwest Airlines Co.'s Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan reported $41M in total assets and 9,612 participants in its 2024 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 82nd percentile by assets among filed plans. Figures are as reported by the plan sponsor to the Department of Labor, not audited or endorsed by PlainRetire.

  • 82nd percentile by assets (of 116,472 plans)
  • #2,531 in Transportation & Warehousing (3,127 peers)

Coverage in Texas

Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan covers 9,612 participants in Texas, 14x the typical Texas plan (state average ~704 per filing). Assets: $41M.

$41M
total plan assets (2024 EOY)
9,612
covered participants
82nd
percentile by assets (of 116,472 plans)
$4,244
avg assets per participant

Participants vs Texas filers

In Texas, the average filing covers about 704 participants across 9,718 plans. Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan reports 9,612 participants - 14x that state average ($41M EOY assets).

Texas filing particulars

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)N/A
Net Assets (End of Year)$41M
Net Income$41M
Employer EIN741563240
Plan Effective Date2024-01-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Southwest Airlines Co.)

$20B$25B$30B 202220232024 $20.9B $28.7B ▲ +37.3%
Total plan assets by year, all Southwest Airlines Co. plans on file
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 3 120,230 $20.9B
2023 3 141,844 $24.8B
2024 4 168,461 $28.7B

Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in Texas

Peer Defined Benefit (Pension) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.

Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Texas, assets vs. participants

Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Texas, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. 020000400006000080000100000120000 -100102030 Total assets ($B) Participants Southwest Airlines M…AT&T Pension Benefit…Exxonmobil Pension P…Chevron Retirement P…Shell Pension PlanCaterpillar Inc. Ret…
Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Texas, assets vs. participants

Similar-Sized Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans Nationally

Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states closest to Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan by total assets, not by location.

Frequently Asked Questions

How have Southwest Airlines Co. plan assets changed over time?
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Southwest Airlines Co.'s sponsor-wide assets grew 37.3%, from $20.9B to $28.7B.
Where does Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers?
Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan ranks in the 82nd percentile by end-of-year assets among 116,472 plans that reported assets for plan year 2024 (in the top quartile of all filed plans by assets).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans are similar in size to Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan?
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by assets is Alside Retirement Plan in OH ($41M, 84 participants).

Next read for Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Bal…

Filing takeaways

Ways to act on Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan's numbers.