Southwest Begins Phasing Out 737-700 Fleet Amid New Aircraft Arrivals

Southwest Airlines, the world's largest customer for the Boeing 737, is slowly retiring its 737-700 fleet. The airline has been operating the type since its first flight in 1971 and has taken delivery of 514 units. However, with newer aircraft arriving to replace them, the 737-700's days are numbered.

Southwest was a launch operator for the 737-700 and the 737NG as a whole in 1997. The airline had accumulated 126 firm orders for the 737-700 at the time, along with 62 options. Over the years, Southwest ordered 361 737-700s directly from Boeing, leased 17 examples from ILFC, and acquired an additional 74 units through the second-hand market.

Despite its success, the 737-700 has been gradually replaced by larger aircraft in Southwest's fleet. The airline's preference for smaller planes is largely driven by operational simplicity and commercial strategy. However, with growing constraints in key operating bases, the carrier began to experiment with larger aircraft in the 2010s.