DALLAS — Rollin King, a San Antonio businessman who helped start Southwest Airlines Co. and create a new age of competition in the airline industry, has died at 83.
King died Thursday in Dallas of the effects from a major stroke about a year ago, his son Edward King said.
Longtime Southwest CEO Herb Kelleher praised King for coming up with the idea of a discount airline that would serve Texas travelers. Kelleher said in a statement issued by Southwest on Friday that the notion of a low-cost, low-fare airline with quality service became a model in the U.S. and worldwide.
“The people of Southwest Airlines grieve with Rollin’s family, mourn his absence, and thank him for his vision,” Kelleher said.
The airline’s current CEO, Gary Kelly, said King helped democratize air travel by making it more affordable.
Interstate air service was heavily regulated by the federal government in 1967, when King sat down with Kelleher to map out the idea for a no-frills airline that would fly between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
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