WN launch customer for 737 Max

[WorldTraveler]

So, does this mean the end of the 717 fleet or the FL operation?
With 125 new aircraft in the next 3 years and almost 200 in the next 4, WN is planning a major fleet refresh... and they say the majority of the aircraft orders until the Max arrives are replacement aircraft.
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Deliveries over the next two years will be 800s - almost 100 of them .


DALLAS , Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines is once again leading the industry by teaming up with its longtime partner to become the launch Customer of Boeing's new 737 MAX aircraft. Southwest is the first Customer to place firm orders for the new, more fuel-efficient 737 MAX, and the Company also will become the first airline to accept delivery of the new aircraft in 2017. As the launch Customer of the 737 MAX, Southwest extends its legacy with Boeing as the 737 launch Customer for the -300, -500, and -700. The 737 MAX is the new-engine variant of the world's best-selling airplane, building on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737 (737NG) technology, and is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines. For more information, visit: www.swamedia.com.

 

[swamt]

So, does this mean the end of the 717 fleet or the FL operation?
With 125 new aircraft in the next 3 years and almost 200 in the next 4, WN is planning a major fleet refresh... and they say the majority of the aircraft orders until the Max arrives are replacement aircraft.
.
Deliveries over the next two years will be 800s - almost 100 of them .


DALLAS , Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines is once again leading the industry by teaming up with its longtime partner to become the launch Customer of Boeing's new 737 MAX aircraft. Southwest is the first Customer to place firm orders for the new, more fuel-efficient 737 MAX, and the Company also will become the first airline to accept delivery of the new aircraft in 2017. As the launch Customer of the 737 MAX, Southwest extends its legacy with Boeing as the 737 launch Customer for the -300, -500, and -700. The 737 MAX is the new-engine variant of the world's best-selling airplane, building on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737 (737NG) technology, and is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines. For more information, visit: www.swamedia.com.

WorldTraveler; have you not been reading any of my post? The 717's are history, gone, bye-bye. SWA wants nothing to do with them. They are actually a cost burden rather than a cost efficiency. I have said this from the very begining. The 717's leases with AT and Boeing start to end 2017 thru 2024. SWA and Boeing are in nego. to end all the 717's leases earlier than the current agreements with AT. With this huge order of the new 737MAX and the other 58 7 or 800's coming prior to the MAX, is proof that the 717's will in fact be gone prior to the leases end. I have stated before that SWA once started training in Dallas for the 717's, then all of a sudden they haulted training classes for the 717's. Now we all see the "confirmed orders". The 717's are out of here brother. However, it has nothing to do with the FL operation as you asked about. FL operations will still have the 37's to manage. Rather it has to do with flying or maint. I am a firm believer that maint. will in fact grow at MCO and ALT. I also think that the early escape from the current 717's leases are a direct relation to the newly announces "largest order of number of planes, as well as largest dollar amount" In other words; SWA says to Boeing, you scratch our backs, and we'll scratch yours. Don't worry, Boeing or SWA will realocate the 717's over to Delta as we have all already heard.

 

[WorldTraveler]

I agree that there is every OPERATIONAL and FINANCIAL reason apart from the merger integration process for WN to get rid of the 717s... but WN still has about 200 early generation 737s that need to be replaced over the next 5 years... this order isn't really big enough to replace all of the 717s, WN's older generation 737s, and allow for much if any growth... of course if WN takes on another 100 orders in the next year or so things could change.
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Having a no-growth fleet plan out there does put some pressure on the unions to settle... even if the company is not doing the negotiating, the company and its customers are hurt if there is labor discord between the groups. WN wants and needs an amicable agreement - or at least a sense that the deal obtained was as good as could be obtained.... based on posting on this forum, that is a very long way from today's reality.
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As for the rumor regarding transferring the 717s to DL, it is indeed possible... the 717 is probably on its way to becoming just like the M90 - an orphan with low enough lease rates that DL can get them for a, well, Song. But the 717 is not as low of a CASM airplane for a large mainline operator because of its size... but if DL decides to use it predominantly on point to point higher value routes such as to/from LGA or potentially up and down the west coast, it could be a very good aircraft for years to come. I'm not sure its economics favor hub service but as a point to point aircraft it could be a very cheap growth aircraft....I am betting DL will be willing to take them as growth aircraft if DALPA agrees to fly them at a lower rate than DL paid for DC9/319 pilots.
Of course if DL takes the 717s and uses them for growth, it will further validate that DL and WN can actually manage to do things that would be mutuall beneficial to each other, even if it takes Boeing as an intermediary to make it happen... but Boeing couldn't agree to a deal to help WN if they could not unload the planes somewhere else.
Given that DL's 100 aircraft order for 739ERs is one of the smallest of the current generation and DL did not make a decision about the 100 seater segment, the transfer of the 717s could very well become reality. And of course Boeing benefits from DL using an existing 100/120 seater than for them considering something from Canadair or Embraer.
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Best of luck to you guys in getting a favorable deal done for all workgroups and that all employees would end up relatively happy (relatively) even if it does mean a different fleet...

 

[xUT]

WorldTraveler; have you not been reading any of my post?

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Humble...