Southwest Airlines eliminating 1,750 jobs

To create a leaner and more agile organization, Southwest Airlines announced on Monday they are planning a workforce reduction as part of the company’s transformation plan.

The workforce reduction of approximately 1,750 employee roles is focused almost entirely on corporate overhead and leadership positions and represents approximately 15% of corporate positions, including senior leadership and directors. Eleven senior leadership positions (Vice President and above), also representing 15% of the company's senior management committee, will be eliminated as part of this restructuring, the airline said in a company press release. The plan is to have the workforce reduction completed by the end of the second quarter of 2025.

Difficult Decisions

Southwest has been under pressure from key shareholders to make big changes in upper-level management.

"This decision is unprecedented in our 53-year history, and change requires that we make difficult decisions,” said Bob Jordan, president, chief executive officer & vice chairman of the Board of Directors. “We are at a pivotal moment as we transform Southwest Airlines into a leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” he added in a statement. “I arrived at this decision thoughtfully and carefully, knowing how hard it will be to say goodbye to colleagues who have been a significant part of our Southwest culture and accomplishments. I'm grateful to all Southwest employees who have shared in our legendary history and to those that will guide us into the next era of Southwest Airlines."  

Cost Saving

As a result of the workforce reduction, the company estimates partial-year 2025 savings to be approximately $210 million and full-year 2026 savings to be approximately $300 million.

These savings exclude an expected one-time charge in the first quarter of 2025 in the range of $60 million to $80 million, substantially all of which is related to severance payments and post-employment benefits, which the company expects to treat as a special item.

The company will continue to report on additional cost-saving actions as 2025 progresses.

In January, the airline announced the sale and leaseback of 36 Boeing 737-800 aircraft to generate cash. That announcement was followed by longtime leaders within the company announcing their retirement.

New CFO announced as part of Southwest Airlines’ transformational plan

Southwest Airlines Co. announced Tuesday that Tom Doxey has been named executive vice president & chief financial officer effective March 10, bringing extensive experience in aviation finance, operations, and strategic transformation.

"Tom's expertise in financial planning, fleet management, and operational leadership makes him a tremendous asset to our executive team as we drive progress on our transformational plan," said Bob Jordan, president, chief executive officer, & vice chairman of the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines. "We are confident that his experience in strategic transformation will be an asset as he builds upon our financial strength, operational excellence, and our deep commitment to our employees, the investment community, and our shareholders."

According to a CNBC article, the airline was facing pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management pushing for leadership changes at the company.

Last month, Southwest Airlines announced two of the company’s longtime executive officers have made plans to retire. Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Tammy Romo and Chief Administration Officer Linda Rutherford will retire from their positions effective April 1.

Doxey Experience

Doxey most recently served as President of Breeze Airways, where he led the airline through a successful transformation from a startup to profitability in under two years. Under his leadership, Breeze developed a strong guest-focused brand, launched a loyalty program and co-branded credit card, optimized its fleet and network, and became the country's largest NCAA basketball charter operator.

Before Breeze, Doxey held several leadership roles at United Airlines, including Senior Vice President of Technical Operations and CFO of Operations. At United, he oversaw global maintenance, supply chain, and engineering teams, managed a $5 billion budget, and led strategic initiatives, including a complex aircraft storage program during the global pandemic. He also led United's fleet transactions and planning teams and had financial oversight for United's $18 billion operations budget.

Doxey's aviation career began in financial planning and fleet management roles at Allegiant Air and US Airways, where he gained deep expertise in aircraft transactions, cost optimization, and corporate finance.

United Airlines service to Israel restarts among ceasefire in the region

United Airlines announced on Tuesday they plan to resume service to Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 15. The flights will depart from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. A second daily flight will begin March 29.

The restart of United flights to Israel follows an announcement that Hamas and Israel have entered phase two of a ceasefire and hostage release in the region. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this week told reporters there are “no guarantees” the ceasefire will hold.

United’s decision to resume flights came following a detailed assessment of their operations.

“This resumption follows a detailed assessment of operational considerations for the region and close work with the unions who represent our flight attendants and pilots,” United Airlines said in a company press release. The flights will use Boeing 787-10 jets.

United has a longstanding commitment to serving Tel Aviv. “This return will make United the first U.S. airline to resume service this year,” the company said. “United also offers connections to Tel Aviv through partners including Lufthansa Group airlines. United will continue to evaluate opportunities to restore additional flights based on demand.”

Shareholders approve Boeing's purchase of Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., has announced that its shareholders have approved the proposed acquisition by The Boeing Company. The vote, held during a special meeting on Friday, signifies a major step forward for the planned transaction. This acquisition, initially announced in the summer, is now on track to reshape the landscape of the aerospace manufacturing industry.

The deal aims to bring Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier of aircraft structures, under Boeing's umbrella, aiming to streamline operations and enhance supply chain stability.

The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025, subject to closing conditions including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

"Our shareholders’ resounding approval today represents an important milestone in our carefully planned merger with Boeing," said Irene Esteves, Spirit AeroSystems chief financial officer. "As we continue executing our transition planning, we remain focused on Spirit's foundational principles of safety, compliance, and quality."

Spirit will continue to operate as an independent company until the transaction closes.

Regional passenger jet collides with Blackhawk helicopter in Washington, DC

A collision between a PSA Airlines regional jet and a Blackhawk helicopter on Wednesday is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

A Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet (tail number N709PS) operated by PSA Airlines collided in midair with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 helicopter (Flight ID: PAT25) while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday.

The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said they started receiving multiple calls for an aircraft crash above the Potomac River at 8:53 p.m. DC Fire and EMS, the MPD, and numerous partner agencies are currently coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River.

The flight-tracking website ADS-B Exchange provided a view of three helicopters searching the Potomac River near the airport.

“There is no confirmed information on casualties at this time,” MPD said in a statement.

The PSA Airlines jet was operating as American Eagle flight 5342 inbound to Reagan National Airport from Wichita, Kan. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB will investigate the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation.

Reagan National announced at 9:12 p.m. that all takeoffs and landings had been halted at the airport. “Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield,” airport officials said on X. “The terminal remains open.”

Big Bad Wolf slot game Huff N’ More Puff going online with FanDuel

FanDuel Sportsbook & Casino announced Monday that the highly popular Huff N’ More Puff slot game will be available online beginning next month.

The exclusive launch with FanDuel will make the game available online in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Ontario beginning Feb. 4. The slot has been very successful and popular at retail brick-and-mortar casino locations.

The online launch of Huff N' More Puff combines one of America's favorite slot games with some great promotions at FanDuel. Players join the Big Bad Wolf in a quest for prizes as he huffs and puffs to blow down houses to reveal rewards and prizes.

"The Huff N' Puff family of slots is one of the most popular slot series on the casino floor, and we are excited to bring it exclusively to FanDuel Casino customers," says Ian O'Reilly, FanDuel Casino Product Senior Director. "Offering our players beloved and exclusive games is a top priority for us, and bringing Huff N' Puff to FanDuel Casino helps us continue to grow our iGaming product while offering our players more ways to win."

YouTube gambler Vegas Matt, FanDuel Casino's ambassador, is ecstatic that one of the most popular slots in the world, Huff N' More Puff, is joining FanDuel Casino's exclusive game roster.

"I have been playing the Huff N'  Puff game family on the casino floor for years, and I am so excited I will now be able to play online at FanDuel Casino,” Vegas Matt said. “The game is virtually identical to the casino floor with one extremely exciting difference, you can buy a bonus. It's an absolute game changer."

"We are honored to partner with FanDuel Casino to bring the Huff N' Puff family of slot games to the iGaming space," says Dana Jackel, V.P. Commercial & U.S. Managing Director at Light & Wonder. "Creating immersive content that forges lasting connections with players is core to our DNA. The Huff N' Puff brand represents one of our top brick-and-mortar game families and we are ecstatic to work with FanDuel Casino to bring this series to life."

Big Bad Wolf Jackpots

A few Huff N’ Puff players started off the new year with big wins on New Jersey’s casino floors. According to the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement in Atlantic City, four jackpots have been paid to Huff N’ Puff players in 2025.

Jan. 3- A $49,098.12 jackpot was paid out at Ocean Casino Resort while playing Huff N Even More Puff.

Jan. 1- A $50,000.00 jackpot was paid out at Bally’s Atlantic City while playing Huff N Puff Money Mansion

Jan. 1- A $51,657.08 jackpot was paid out at Ocean Casino Resort while playing Huff N Even More Puff

Jan. 1- A $69,524.00 jackpot was paid out at Ocean Casino Resort while playing Huff N Even More Puff

New slot games ranked at US online casinos

We have our first look at the newest slot games available in 2025. Based on data compiled in December, Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC (EKG) published its first monthly report for the new year that examines the U.S. online casino market.

EKG makes it clear the 77-page report is a “sample and may not be representative of the overall market.” The document tracks the performance of slot games, table games, video poker, and other online gaming, nearly 40% of the North American market. One section of the report looks at the newest online slot games and ranks them by performance. Let's look at a few games.

12 Masks of Fire Drums

This is the sizzling sequel to 9 Masks of Fire released by Games Global, a game supplier based in the Isle of Man. The new 12 Masks of Fire Drums slot has a tropical/jungle theme with fast-paced gameplay.

Deep in the heart of the African Savannah, where the drums beat and the open fires burn, your goal is to collect masks to win up to 3,000x your bet.

The 5-reel, 3-row video slot game features powerful masks, blazing drums, and vibrant symbols that help uncover fortunes. The base game includes 20 paylines and up to 48 paylines in the Free Spins feature. Land on a few Wild symbols in the base game and randomly trigger the Epic Strike Bonus.

The Epic Strike Bonus is a tower that has 12 prize levels. Keep an eye out for dancing drums that will unlock free spins, expanding reels, and a chance to win big on the tower. And just to be clear, those blue gems thrown into the collection pot are purely for visual entertainment and do not influence the reward of a bonus feature.

The minimum bet for the slot is $0.20 and goes up to $80 per spin. The Epic Strike Tower can reach a grand prize of $240,000.

12 Masks of Fire Drums is ranked No. 1 in EKG’s January Online Game Performance Report. You can find the game at Mohegan Sun, Tropicana, FanDuel, and other online casinos.

Cerberus Gold

The fiery heat continues with Cerberus Gold, a new slot ranked No. 2 in the EKG report.

This is a trip into the fiery abyss of the underworld, where the three-headed guardian Cerberus Gold awaits. Dare to brave the flames, ignite the fury, and conquer the underworld’s treacherous trials for unimaginable riches. Or do you just want to play a good slot game?

During gameplay, you will come across orange, yellow, and purple coins. These coins are automatically fed to the three-headed beast. Each coin will spark fury within the beast, igniting a symphony of fireballs, multipliers, and spine-chilling LockNWins. That just means you could win a lot, maybe a jackpot.

The game has a Micro, Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega jackpot. The minimum bet for Cerberus Gold is $0.20 and goes up to $50. But beware of the seething rage of Cerberus’s heads, for with every growl they unleash chaos upon the reels promising untamed thrills and untold riches.

Cerberus Gold can be found at Tropicana, Mohegan Sun, FanDuel, William Hill, Resorts Atlantic City, BetMGM, and other online casinos.

The Goonies Megaways

The Goonies Megaways is a 6-reel slot game ranked No. 4 in EKG’s report. The game is based on the cult movie of the same name, The Goonies. It has never appeared in the EKG report. None of the slot games mentioned in this post have ever appeared in the EKG report.

The original Goonies slot game has been out for a while, but this new version has Megaways. The difference is that the number of symbols on each reel changes randomly from one spin to the next, up to a maximum of seven symbols per reel. This means there are different ways to win with every spin.

Slot players can run wild in this game with Mikey, Data, and Sloth in this great coming-of-age adventure with up to 15,625 ways to win. It will make you feel like it's 1985 all over again.

Skull and crossbones, doubloons, and high card symbols appear in the game against a treasure map backdrop. Keep an “eye out” for the character One-Eyed Willy, he has all the bonuses for you. See what I did there?

The minimum bet for this game is $0.10 and goes up to $25 per spin.

You can find The Goonies Megaways at FanDuel, William Hill, and other online casinos.

Keep in mind when looking at these games, West Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are the only states that have regulated online casinos. It means online casinos are legal in those states only.

Until next time, happy spinning.