The Southwest Boeing 737 departed just before noon local time on Friday for a scheduled flight to Las Vegas. Six minutes after takeoff, a privately owned Hawker Hunter fighter jet crossed less than two miles in front of the Southwest plane, passing within a few hundred feet of the same altitude, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.

Alarms sounded in the cockpit of a Southwest Airlines jet shortly after taking off from Hollywood Burbank airport near Los Angeles on Friday, prompting evasive maneuvers, the airline said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines announced several major policy changes in an attempt to boost the airline's slumping profits. This was highlighted by the decision to begin charging for checked bags,

Wall Street investors punished Southwest for chopping its 2025 profit outlook by up to 65%, as the carrier’s executives implement changes driven by its activist investor.

Southwest Airlines' CEO told investors in a July 24 earnings call that the airline could eventually open its own lounges.