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Southwest Won’t Take On Older Boeing 737s to Cover Max Void
Southwest Airlines Co., which is canceling 150 flights a day as the Boeing Co. 737 Max remains grounded, says it won’t bring back used 737 models to help cover the flying void. (www.bloomberg.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Air Canada out 24 Max and West Jet and Sunwing in Canada
31 aircraft to replace 387 and up to 59 airlines are competing to get them. Anyone owning those 31 aircraft is probably busy picking the upholstery colours for their new Ferrari(s).
Where are all the used 737s that airlines could bring back? The older models they sold or retired are either flying for new owners or sitting in the desert and just because they're parked doesn't mean they can fly again. It depends entirely on if (and how well) they were "pickled". If they were just parked waiting to be parted out or scrapped, the cost to make them airworthy would be enormous. Even those that were properly stored in a way to be suitable for reactivation would need overhaul, refurbishment, inspection, test flights, etc, etc. No regulator is going to rush any of that and no airline should want to. If a single non-MAX 737 crashes in the next few years (for any reason), the entire model family is doomed as a viable aircraft in the eyes of the flying public -- and let's not forget that without them, no airline and no airliner manufacturer makes money.
The idea that there's lots of older 737s just waiting to go back to work is an assumption, not a fact.
The idea that there's lots of older 737s just waiting to go back to work is an assumption, not a fact.
Totally agree
Ummmm..perhaps you forgot the squawk from late last week. "United buys 19 Boeing 737NG to fill the gap generated by grounded 737 MAXs" If United finds them, and I've heard American are getting a couple, so could Southwest. They found them somewhere.
As with Southwest, leases are running out. GE Capital probably already has a customer to take the 737's off their hands which would represent almost pure profit as they have retired almost all the capital cost.. As with any other shortage of commodity, they will have bid these out.
Maybe some of those current operators of the leased aircraft will want to extend their leases if they aren't receiving new MAXs and/or have parked MAXs they've already started to receive?
There is not a bottomless supply of used non-MAX 737s that airlines can just wander out and find "somewhere".
There is not a bottomless supply of used non-MAX 737s that airlines can just wander out and find "somewhere".
Suposedly the worldwide fleet includes 387 airplanes, while the US-registered fleet includes 74 planes.
In all, 59 operators are using the Boeing 737 Max Aircraft.
The most common variant is the -800 series, which has had over 5,000 delivered as of 2019 and is the most widely used narrowbody aircraft worldwide. As of July 2018, 6,343 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft were in commercial service. This comprised of 39 -600s, 1,027 -700s, 4,764 -800s and 513 -900s. To date; June 30, 2019, 505 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft have been produced.
AMERICAN Airlines has 24 of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet, has ordered 76 more. American is the second largest operator with 24 Max 8s out of service.
UNITED Airlines, which operates 14 Max 9s, has the planes out of its flight operations schedule. The airline was due to receive 16 more Max 9s this year, with 122 on order.
SOUTHWEST, the largest of U.S. Boeing 737 operators of the Max has 34 in its fleet and operates more than 753 Boeing 737 aircraft; with a fleet life average of 11 plus years. Southwest took delivery of its first Max Aircraft in October 2017. Southwest Airlines was due to take delivery of 41 aircraft this year, however with Boeing 737 groundings, manufacturing and storage availability have produced delivery constraints. It is suposedly waiting on orders of a further 246 of the single-aisle Boeing aircraft.
ALASKA AIRLINES has 0 Boeing 737 Max Aircraft in their fleet. The airline has 32 Max 9s on order and was due to take delivery of the first one this summer, with two more by the end of the year.
Interestingly enough, I was able to find 31 replacement Boeing 737 800 series Aircraft in 20 minutes that are available from 13 holding companies for full flight operations as we speak, with or without crews at user discretion, 2 of which will be available by 4th Quarter, all of which could be leased, or purchased at full price. So the aircraft are available, and many airlines have the available crews to fly them. It would just take a bit of crew rescheduling and with some maybe some sim refresher time, and they would be up and flying in no time. Aircraft temporary N registration is not a problem as the FAA is currently willing to work with carriers to supplement for loss revenue caused by the 737 Max groundings. Airline companies have the means to make up loss revenues. Whether or not they do so is up to them.
Safety should always be the number one concern, and air carriers know this. Whether or not they adhere to FAA standards for the sake of turning a profit is up to corporate leaders. But again if safety was really the issue here, adequate development and testing of MCAS would've been a manufacturing priority, along with airline advisories on it's purpose and proper operations.