The Airline Is Considering The Purchase Of 737-800's.
Is Southwest looking at a fleet of larger Boeing 737 aircraft?
They are, according to statements released by both
the airline and Thom McDaniel, a Southwest flight
attendant and president of the Transport Workers Union, who also
sees the purchase as a path to new negotiations between the airline
and the union.
The Dallas Morning News reports in their Airline Biz blog that,
in a statement released Friday, McDaniel said "The members of the
flight attendants union are excited about the possibilities that
the addition of new, larger, longer-range aircraft could mean for
both our company and the customers we serve.
"For Southwest Airlines to place larger aircraft into service it
will be necessary to reopen the contract with TWU Local 556 and
negotiate new rates of pay, rules, and working conditions including
the addition of an additional flight attendant on the 737-800
aircraft. Due to the long lead time necessary for ordering new
planes to the specifications SWA would require, negotiations
between Southwest Airlines and our union, including ratification by
our members, will need to be completed by December 1. 2010.
"Our plan is to reconvene our 2008 negotiating team and begin
meeting with management immediately. Our union supports the
expansion and growth of Southwest Airlines. While our managers have
not made a final decision on acquiring the 737-800 series yet, we,
at the flight attendants union, are doing our due diligence to
insure that any changes in our business model are in the best
interest of our members and our customers.
"If we are able to come to agreement, we hope that this new
chapter in the story of Southwest Airlines will bring new
opportunities and continued success for us all.
Southwest B737-700
Southwest also released a statement on the topic Friday. EVP and
COO Mike Van de Ven said the company is looking at larger 737s for
the fleet, but that the decision has not yet been made, but is
expected by the end of the year.
"While the aircraft could introduce additional complexities to
our operation, we believe our existing network could be
significantly enhanced by converting some of our future 737-700
deliveries to 737-800s, the statement said. "Introducing the -800,
which has more seating capacity than the -700, would be a
complementary fit to our current fleet by supplementing
opportunities for longer-haul flying, while also potentially
improving our unit costs. The -800 also can give Southwest
scheduling flexibility by allowing for additional capacity in
high-demand, slot-controlled, or gate-restricted markets. We are
proud to continue our strong history of being the largest 737
operator in the world and excited for the potential opportunities
that could come with introducing the -800 into our fleet."
Southwest says that since the decision to add the -800 has not
been finalized, any details regarding configuration, timing, and
quantity of deliveries are still to be determined. Van de Ven said
the next steps in evaluating the -800 opportunity include entering
into discussions with Southwest's labor unions, assessing network
flow, determining aircraft configuration, evaluating scheduling
needs, completing regulatory work, and finalizing other
considerations.