Southwest have begun planning for their future fleet as they today are announced as the launch customer of the Boeing 737-MAX 7 series aircraft.
Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 7 – Rendering: The Boeing Company
The airline will take 30 of the class, converting orders of 30 Boeing 737 NG’s to the new aircraft, along with 5 737-800NG aircraft. Southwest were also the launch customer of the 737 MAX-8 series – with orders of 150 aircraft.
The 737 MAX-7 is the smallest member of the 737-MAX family, which will measure 110ft long – and will be be powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines. The new plane is meant to have a longer range of 400nm longer than the existing 737-700.
Southwest operate a total of 574 Boeing 737’s four different subclasses (-300, -500, -700, -800) and were also the launch customer for those classes – making Southwest the largest operate of the Boeing 737 in the world.
For the airline, there is a major fleet renewal in progress with older 737-300 and -500’s being replaced with 737-770’s, -800’s – and now MAX-7/MAX-8’s. They have 137 Boeing 737NG aircraft in a backlog and now 180 Boeing 737MAX’s.
Southwest Airlines is expected to take its first 737 MAX 7 delivery in 2019.
The 737MAX is going to be an interesting development in the battle of the next generation single isle aircraft – with promises of longer ranges and lower costs.
The big question is – can it’s competitors keep up? Airbus have already showing off their next generation single isle aircraft (the Airbus A320 NEO Family), with competition slowly growing in China from the Comac C919 and Russian Irkut MS-21.
For Southwest – it’s a step to the future.
