Southwest Defers Smallest Boeing 737 Max, Adds Larger Planes
- Max 7 delays to as late as 2024 cast doubt on variant’s future
- Airline keeps pledge to use tax money to buy more aircraft
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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Southwest Airlines Co. delayed orders for 23 of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max 7 aircraft, casting doubt on the future of the smallest Max variant even as the discount carrier said it would buy more of a larger model of the upgraded single-aisle jet.
Pushing most of its Max 7 deliveries out until 2023 and 2024 probably means that Southwest is trying to decide whether it wants to keep any of its pending orders for the plane, said George Ferguson, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. The Dallas-based airline, Boeing’s largest 737 customer, will take only seven Max 7 jets in 2019 -- down from the 15 that had been expected as of October.