Through Presidio’s partnership, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) evolved from an organization constrained by unstable systems into one that is modern, data-driven, and AI-enabled.
Azure | AI | Analytics
Modernizing Mission-Critical Systems on Azure with Presidio
A stronger data foundation improves day-to-day operations, better equips SWAPA at the bargaining table, and makes the organization AI-ready.
11,000+
pilots represented by SWAPA at one of the world’s most recognized airlines
8-10 years
between collective bargaining cycles that the new data foundation has to support
AI-ready
secure frameworks, governance, and cloud architecture that support safe AI adoption
THE OUTCOME
- Stability & Reliability: Environment uptime improved dramatically, eliminating firefighting and enabling innovation.
- Stronger Data Foundation: Unified systems and Dynamics platform adoption provide accurate data for negotiations and long-term planning.
- AI Readiness: SWAPA now has secure frameworks, governance, and cloud architecture that support safe AI adoption.
- IT as a Strategic Partner: “IT is no longer a cost center. We’re a business partner. And Presidio helped make that happen.”
— Patrick Shanahan, Executive Director
Presidio continues to guide SWAPA as it expands its AI capabilities, modernizes legacy systems, and builds analytics to support future negotiations.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
SWAPA represents more than 11,000 pilots at one of the world’s most recognized airlines. With collective bargaining negotiations occurring every 8-10 years, SWAPA relies on accurate, timely data to support members, inform strategy, and strengthen their position at the negotiating table.
But outdated systems, unstable infrastructure, and heavy operational firefighting made it nearly impossible for SWAPA to innovate or become truly data-driven. SWAPA needed a partner who could stabilize its environment, modernize its cloud foundation, and guide it into the era of AI.
SWAPA aimed to:
- Modernize the Azure environment.
- Become a data-driven organization capable of supporting negotiations.
- Improve application performance and reliability.
- Establish a foundation for AI and analytics.
- Ensure security and governance for sensitive pilot and contract data.
WHY IT WORKED
Stabilizing and Modernizing the Azure Environment
Presidio conducted a deep analysis of SWAPA’s Azure environment, identifying bottlenecks, misconfigurations, and architectural issues that were causing instability.
“Presidio researched everything, found our bottlenecks, and solved them… We weren’t just fighting fires anymore. We could finally innovate.”
— Patrick Shanahan
Within months, SWAPA went from reactive operations to an environment that was stable, performant, and ready for transformation.
This stability unlocked the ability to implement new systems, expand Dynamics platform use, and create unified datasets for future analytics. These enhancements are critical in supporting negotiators with the insights they need.
“Presidio researched everything, found our bottlenecks, and solved them… We weren’t just fighting fires anymore. We could finally innovate.”