A Bermudian is flying high in San Diego in the United States, after Southwest Airlines promoted him to a senior management position.

On Friday Al Stephens was named as station manager for the company's operations at Lindbergh Field.

As station manager Mr. Stephens will be responsible for making sure that the airlines's flight activities in San Diego run smoothly.

Mr. Stephens said: "I look forward to assuming the position of station manager and working with the excellent team at the San Diego station.'' Mr. Stephens was born and raised in Bermuda, and attended Sandy's Secondary School.

Many members of his family still live in Bermuda, and his mother Helen Lambert, lives in Somerset.

Mr. Stephens began his career with Southwest in 1990 as a customer service agent in San Francisco. He was later promoted to customer service supervisor and manger of customer service at San Jose International Airport. More recently he served as station manager for Southwest's operations at John Wayne Airport in Orange County and Ontario International Airport.

Mr. Stephens graduated from Southwest's manager in training programme and was awarded the "Winning Spirit Award'', a prize given to Southwest employees whom they see as going above and beyond the call of duty to the company.

Before joining Southwest Airlines Mr. Stephens worked as an air traffic controller for 14 years.

Promotion "Al's superb leadership skills, strong work ethic, and desire to do the right thing make him the perfect choice to lead the San Diego station to the next level,'' said Mike Hunter, the senior director of ground operation at Southwest Diego is Southwest Airlines's tenth largest city in terms of daily departures. Southwest currently operates 79 daily nonstop departures form San Diego's Lindbergh Field with direct connecting service to 49 cities in he US, including Albuquerque, Austin, El Paso, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose and Tucson.

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