US-based low-cost carrier 
Southwest Airlines operates an extremely unique network. The budget airline, which had been roughly unchanged operationally since its founding in the second half of the 20th century until recent interventions by activist investment manager Elliott Management, has historically thrived operating services to underserved destinations all across the United States. The airline operates flights from its bases (notably not major connecting hubs), where competition from legacy airlines is limited, and the target customers are everyday travelers. These kinds of passengers are those who typically prefer lower-cost, convenient service to the more expensive offerings of premium-oriented legacy airlines like United Airlines or Delta Air Lines.
To serve this kind of network, Southwest Airlines has historically relied on a fleet of just one kind of aircraft. The airline has exclusively been an operator of the Boeing 737 family, and the carrier has quite literally structured its entire operational network around the use of this exact model. While the airline’s fleet formerly included mostly Boeing 737 Next Generation Models, the airline has since made a shift towards operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The newer Boeing model, despite its safety challenges, has increasingly become a core component of the airline’s operational network. We analyze the role that the dynamic and capable Boeing 737 MAX plays in the Southwest Airlines fleet today.
A Deeper Look At The Boeing 737 MAX At Southwest Airlines
Southwest’s Boeing 737 MAX relationship tells the story of the airline’s desire to preserve fleet simplification while adding scale to its operations. The airline currently operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet, and it is in the process of introducing the 175-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8 to its fleet while Boeing continues to work through the extensive certification process for the smaller Boeing 737 MAX 7 model, which is now expected to debut in 2026. This delay ultimately forced Southwest Airlines to reshape its order book and overall order cadence, ultimately tilting deliveries more towards the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to protect its capacity growth plans.
Meanwhile, Boeing’s newly approved production increase on the Boeing 737 MAX line should gradually relieve continued supply-side pressures. Onboard, Southwest Airlines debuted refreshed Boeing 737 MAX interiors, new RECARO seats, larger bins, and in-seat power. More aircraft will follow, and the airline is slowly beginning to roll out some nicer perks for Rapid Rewards members starting on October 24, 2025. Those are upgrades that modernize the airline’s single-class product without abandoning the high-utilization model that currently underpins the airline’s cost basis.
From a financial and operational perspective, the Boeing 737 MAX 7 remains the swing factor for the airline. The jet’s shorter runway performance and smaller gauge could help the airline unlock thinner or altitude-challenged markets and improve overall schedule flexibility. Until the aircraft is certified, Southwest Airlines plans center on the Boeing 737 MAX 8, updating the airline’s 2025 delivery assumptions as Boeing continues to stabilize output. If the Boeing 737 MAX 7 arrives on time, the airline will pursue a phased integration process that will bring the new model into its dynamic single-type fleet.
How Does Southwest Deploy The Boeing 737 MAX?
Southwest Airlines concentrates the use of the Boeing Boeing 737 MAX 8 (the only model it currently has in active service) on long domestic sectors, especially flights to and from Hawaii. This allows the airline to use the jet’s extended-range, fuel efficiency, and single-type operating simplicity to maximize the jet’s utilization. Flight and route scheduling data from the aviation industry database Cirium demonstrated that the Boeing 737 MAX is used primarily from mainland gateways like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Sacramento, and Oakland.
The aircraft is also used with varying frequency depending on the route. Roughly 365 flights per direction throughout the year is fairly standard, with some services even seeing around twice that number, with two flights operated per day. With a 175-seat layout, Southwest Airlines expands its available seat mileage on these kinds of routes through long stage lengths as opposed to increasing the number of seats on each route, a maneuver that would add more complexity to the airline’s schedule. The airline is planning balanced two-way scheduling, which will support crew and maintenance rotation across islands and major hubs. From an operational standpoint, the jet’s ETOPS capabilities enable every major Hawaiian market to be served while preserving a single-fleet cost base.
The jet also appears on select long-haul continental missions, such as the nonstop connections from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), a service that measures around 2,500 nautical miles (3,954 km) in length. This highlights targeted use on transcontinental services where range, fuel burn, and seat count align closely with passenger demand.
A Deeper Look At Some Of Southwest’s Biggest 737 MAX Hubs
The longest Boeing 737 MAX routes in the data provided to Simple Flying include multiple services to Honolulu, with the longest being from Phoenix at roughly 2,920 miles (4,696 km). The following routes on the list are also all services to Hawaii from gateways like Phoenix and Las Vegas. Some of these are relatively low-frequency routes to secondary destinations in the archipelago, while the longest routes are high-frequency offerings to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
Links between Southern California and Hawaii do not top the distance list, but they offer some of the higher-frequency services that punch into the longer-range category, as far as Boeing 737 MAX operations go. Some long sectors are operated from Sacramento, and the airline also uses the model for several long-distance services across the country, where its range and operational flexibility prove exceptionally valuable.
Across the board, all of these routes highlight just how capable the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is at operating long-haul overwater routes, something previously unimaginable for a short-haul, low-cost airline like Southwest. Furthermore, the jet’s low gauge and operational flexibility have allowed it to serve destinations in Hawaii beyond just the capital of Honolulu.
What Role Do Older-Generation Boeing 737s Play In The Southwest Airlines Fleet?
Southwest’s older-generation Boeing 737s, primarily the Boeing 737-700, and to a lesser extent, the Boeing 737-800. These jets remain the backbone of the airline’s network because they add low ownership costs to operational flexibility. The Boeing 737-700 offers an impressive 143-seat layout that is ideal for thinner city pairs and frequency building. This allows Southwest Airlines to maintain multiple departures while demand is variable, without adding excessive capacity. The aircraft’s short-field and high-altitude performance suits the operational constraints of Southwest’s dynamic network.
The Boeing 737-800 offers a higher number of seats than the Boeing 737-700, allowing for increased capacity on flights all across the airline’s network. It currently serves as a capacity bridge while the airline waits for Boeing 737 MAX deliveries to be completed. From an operational perspective, the aircraft share common pilot type ratings and parts overlap with the Boeing 737 MAX. This process simplifies training, the acquisition of spare parts, and the planning of maintenance procedures. Here are some capacity figures for the Boeing 737 MAX models currently in the Southwest Airlines fleet:
|
Variant: |
Capacity: |
|---|---|
|
Boeing 737-700 |
143 |
|
Boeing 737-800 |
175 |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
175 |
Despite being older than the Boeing 737 MAX models and also providing weaker fuel efficiency, these Boeing 737-700 and Boeing 737-800 models are still used extensively across the airline’s network. These jets also help the airline protect some kinds of markets that it cannot serve with the larger Boeing 737 MAX variants. At the end of the day, these jets will all eventually be phased out in favor of the newer models set to join the fleet.
What Role Will The Upcoming Boeing 737 MAX 7 Play At Southwest?
The Boeing 737 MAX 7 is an aircraft with a design catered to the intricacies of the Southwest Airlines network. The aircraft will replace smaller Boeing 737-700 models with a modern 150-seat aircraft that maintains the airline’s single-type fleet strategy, which cuts down on fuel and maintenance costs.
In comparison to the larger Boeing 737 MAX 8, the Boeing 737 MAX 7 trades a few rows of seats for lower overall trip costs, something perfect for thinner routes, off-peak flight banks, and airports that feature shorter runways. This helps the airline protect its advantage in frequency.
From an operational standpoint, pilots are capable of flying both variants, and the Boeing 737 MAX 7’s cabins will be designed to match the larger ones of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The Boeing 737 MAX 7 provides a more nimble gauge that keeps aircraft schedules intact and unit costs under control.
What Is The Bottom Line?
At the end of the day, it is very clear that the Boeing 737 MAX is currently the long-haul workhorse of the Southwest Airlines fleet. The aircraft offers impressive long-range performance, a key reason why it is used for so many long-haul over-water routes.
The Boeing 737 MAX, despite the many challenges it has faced, remains the best aircraft for Southwest. The airline has built its network around the Boeing 737 family, and shifting to a different kind of aircraft would require incredible reorganization of the company and its operations as a whole.
Southwest Airlines’ new Elliott-backed board certainly understands the role that the Boeing 737 MAX will play in the airline’s long-term growth strategy. Ultimately, it will have to be up to the airline to determine what the longest Boeing 737 MAX deployments will be in the future.
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