by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Mon July 31, 2023
Southwest Airlines announced it would exercise options for
the delivery of 30 Boeing 737 MAX 7 planes in 2024, as well as convert 24
existing MAX 7 orders to MAX 8 aircraft.
According to Reuters.com,
Southwest filed an SEC report on Friday for the updated order with Boeing comes
days after the airplane manufacturer said the first delivery of the 737 MAX 7 would
be delayed until 2024.
Boeing must still earn certification for the MAX 7 from the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), but the MAX 8 planes have already been approved
and are currently in operation.
Aviation experts told Reuters that Southwest’s decision to convert
orders to the MAX 8 should help alleviate the impact of the delivery delays.
During a quarterly earnings call, the airline’s CEO, Robert
Jordan, revealed plans to operate the MAX 7 “at some point next year,” but
would take the MAX 8 orders instead if there were still issues with FAA approval.
Last week, Southwest announced “disappointing forecasts for
the current quarter and full year after missing estimates for second-quarter
results, fueling concerns about the strength of domestic travel demand in the
United States.”
Earlier this month, the airline announced plans
to add more flights to and from Orlando this summer, including Albuquerque,
New Mexico; Boston, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; and Long Beach, California.
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