Southwest Airlines Stuck with Aging Boeing 737-700s Until 2030s
Southwest Airlines is continuing to fly its oldest Boeing 737-700s, despite them being over three decades old. The airline had planned to replace these aircraft with the newer 737 MAX 7, but the certification delay has pushed back this plan.
The 737-700s have logged tens of thousands of flight hours and require regular maintenance to keep flying safely. Southwest is using a strategy of selective maintenance triage to keep these airframes airworthy without incurring unsustainable overhaul bills.
The airline's chief financial officer stated that retiring the legacy jets will now take many years, extending deep into the 2030s. This means that the airline will continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars overhauling and maintaining these aging aircraft.