"This is my plan and my vision for a new Southwest," CEO Bob Jordan told investors as he made the biggest presentation of his career amid the airline's ongoing fight with an activist investor.

Southwest Airlines held a conference call with investors Thursday to lay out a plan for long-term profitability. The Dallas-based airline posted a profit in the second quarter but losses in the prior two quarters.

The move, including service enhancements and share buybacks, came after the hedge fund Elliott Management called for cost savings and better profits.

Southwest Airlines chief executive Bob Jordan blasted minority shareholder Elliott Investment Management's latest criticisms as "inane" during Southwest's 26 September investor day in Dallas.

Elliott Investment Management LP, the Florida-based hedge fund that has accumulated a 11% stake in Southwest Airlines and pushed for leadership changes, voiced dissatisfaction with the major financial and operational overhaul outlined by the Dallas-based airline at its Sept. 26 Investor Day.

Southwest Airlines plans to start using assigned seating on planes in the first half of 2026 — one of many upcoming changes the company will roll out in attempt to improve the customer experience and profits,

Representatives with Elliott Investment Management, the Florida-based hedge fund that has accumulated a 11% stake in Southwest Airlines and pushed for leadership changes, said the plan shared with shareholders represented "another promise of a better tomorrow from the same people who have created the problems we face today.

The changes come two days after Elliott threatened to call a special meeting as it tries to push CEO Bob Jordan out.

Southwest Airlines (LUV) outlined a number of actions Thursday that it’s taking to improve its business in the face of an activist investor campaign. CEO Bob Jordan also had words for Elliott Investment Management,