Southwest Airlines reported a third-quarter profit of $67 million, or $0.11 per share, a significant decrease from $193 million, or $0.31 per share, a year ago, yet it exceeded Wall Street predictions of breaking even. Adjusted earnings were $89 million or $0.15 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of zero cents per share. Despite the profit drop, revenue rose 5.3% to a record $6.87 billion, driven by improved pricing and demand amid global challenges, including a cyber outage in July. The carrier anticipates a 3.5% to 5.5% increase in fourth-quarter unit revenue despite a 4% capacity reduction. Southwest has been actively managing costs and is in discussions with Elliott Investment Management for potential strategic changes. The airline's shares rose in response to better-than-expected results and ongoing efforts to restore profitability.