Airline stocks edged higher early Thursday, led by gains from Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

United UAUA shares climbed 2%. Southwest LUV and American AMR and US Airways LCC rose 1%.

Tracking the sector, the NYSE Arca Airline Index rose 0.5% to 37.86 points, with nine of the benchmark index’s 13 components advancing. The index is up more than 12% so far this year.

In the energy market, oil futures fell 31 cents to $82.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In other developments, Virgin America, launched in 2007, is expanding its flight pattern. Virgin said it plans to launch non-stop flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Orlando and Toronto.
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U.S. airline passenger numbers will reach 1 billion in 2023, two years later than projected, because of slow economic growth, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The revision in the agency’s annual forecast follows an “unprecedented” drop in operations last year, when take-offs and landings fell 10.4 percent, said Nan Shellabarger, the agency’s director of aviation policy and plans.
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Southwest Airlines Co. says that winter storms along the East Coast last month cost it $15 million in lost passenger revenue.

Southwest’s estimate on Friday came after two other airlines said earlier this week that the poor weather cost them about $55 million in lost revenue.
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Frequent travelers on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air can now download mobile applications for the iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile smartphones. The free apps allow travelers to review flight schedules, check arrival and departure times, add mileage plan numbers, receive flight alerts and more.
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Southwest Airlines is celebrating 15 years of LUV in three cities today. On Oct. 4, 1994, the airline began service to Tucson International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and Boise Airport. In celebration of this special occasion, Southwest Airlines’ Employees and Customers will enjoy food and FUN at each of these airports.
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Officials at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport are expected to consider a package of expanded incentives to entice new and existing airlines to add or expand service.

Airport Director Dick Hrabko plans to unveil an expanded incentive program for airport commissioners to consider and possibly adopt at their meeting Wednesday.
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Southwest Airlines is adding a new nonstop daily flight from Reno to Phoenix beginning in January.

The midday flight on a 136-seat Boeing 737 will be the third daily flight between the two cities.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport President Krys Bart says it’s an important sign that at a time of growth for Southwest, Reno is “an important part of their future plans.”
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Southwest Airlines Co. said Tuesday it won approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for plans to replace parts on flap exhaust gate assemblies on 82 of its Boeing Co. 737-300 and 500 series aircraft without grounding flights. Southwest said in a statement that it has already replaced parts on 43 aircraft, and the remaining replacements will be made by Dec. 24. Customers won’t experience any impact on their flight plans as a result of the replacements, the airline said

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is allowing Southwest Airlines to fly with unapproved parts used to repair some of its jets, according to several published reports. FAA officials say that the parts, used by a maintenance company hired by Southwest, are not considered an “immediate safety threat,” the Huffington Post reported. (continue reading…)