Southwest seriously considering A220 as the next member of it's fleet

Southwest has used the 737 exclusively for almost five decades. It is just weird to think of them introducing another aircraft to its fleet. Well, now they are in the talks to introduce a new aircraft to their fleet, the A220.

The A220 is a new type of aircraft that seats about 140 passengers. Currently, the aircraft has a similar capacity, the 737–700, but the airline is planning to phase them out in the near future, “We have a ton of 737–700s that are coming up for retirement over the next several years.” said CEO Gary Kelly. The other aircraft in Southwest’s current fleet are 737–800s and 737 MAX-8, but those have a seating capacity of 175, and the airline is looking for something smaller, with a similar capacity to the 737–700, “We absolutely do need the smaller airplane,” said the CEO.

Southwest’s interest in the A220 rest raises two big questions: Why are they in the talks of ordering aircraft during a pandemic, in which airlines are fighting for survival, and why not a Boeing model, as they have always done? Southwest believes that the pandemic, and consequent aviation crisis, will end in about 2 to 3 years, around 2023 to 2024. After placing an order, aircraft usually aren’t delivered in about 4 to 5 years. Southwest believes that the crisis will be gone when the aircraft are delivered and that they will be able to turn a profit on the aircraft. As they currently have the financial power to place the order, they consider it a good idea to place the order soon. But why order Airbus aircraft? Southwest has had a strong relationship with Boeing in the past years, so why give their rival money?

It is believed that the 737 MAX grounding is the main reason for the breaking of this exclusive relationship. The aircraft’s grounding has given severe money losses to Southwest, as they were expecting to use the aircraft as the main component of their fleet. Southwest doesn’t want this kind of loss to happen again, and even though the 737 MAX-7 was the main option to replace the 737–700, things might have changed. We’ll just have to wait and see which aircraft they place the order for.

-GBKarp, Touchdown Zone Staff Writer

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