Southwest Airlines CEO Gets 24 Percent Boost in Compensation

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) earned a record profit last year and the CEO benefited with a 24 percent increase in compensation, to $5 million.

Southwest detailed 2014 compensation for Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly in a regulatory filing Monday.

The bulk of Kelly's compensation came in stock awards, which the Dallas-based airline valued at $3 million when they were issued, up from $2.25 million in 2013. Kelly was paid a salary of $675,000 — unchanged from the previous two years — a bonus of $224,775 and incentive pay of $904,770.

Southwest is the fourth-biggest U.S. airline company by passenger traffic. Last year it earned record net income of $1.14 billion on rising traffic and average fares and falling jet fuel costs.