Southwest Airlines CEO talks new planes for potential Europe flights
Quick summary
- Southwest Airlines is considering expanding into long-haul international flights, with a decision on new aircraft likely within the next two years.
- The airline is undergoing significant changes, including the introduction of assigned seating, extra-legroom premium seats and bag fees, marking a major shift from its traditional model.
- Southwest is also increasing its international partnerships and recently joined a global airline trade group, signaling a stronger focus on global connectivity.
- Current speculation suggests initial long-haul destinations could include Europe, leveraging existing aircraft capabilities and partner connections.
What to consider
- Southwest would need to secure approval from pilots and flight attendants before launching long-haul international routes.
- The airline may initially choose long-range narrowbody aircraft for these flights, rather than larger widebody jets.
- Operational changes could alter Southwest’s longstanding brand identity, potentially impacting customer loyalty.
What you'll miss from the article
- Insights into how Southwest’s evolving strategy could reshape its position in the competitive airline industry and what it means for travelers seeking new international options.
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Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan gave some of his strongest comments yet that the carrier plans to enter the long-haul international space in the coming years.
Speaking on the sidelines of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's annual aerospace summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday he said, "everything is on the table" — lounges, a true premium product and, especially, long-haul international flights — for Southwest.
Jordan went further to suggest that a decision in terms of a new airplane order could come soon. Given the years-long backlogs at plane makers Airbus and Boeing, Southwest would need to order a plane capable of intercontinental flights in the next year or two if it wants to debut said flights in the early 2030s, he added.
Stretch out: Southwest soft launches extra-legroom seats on all Hawaii flights, nearly half of its planes
But travelers best not get their hopes up for a Southwest Dreamliner.
"Don't be surprised if we go a more risk-tolerant route at first and choose a narrowbody" for long-haul flights, Jordan told investors at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on Thursday.
Airbus produces the only new long-range narrowbodies on the market, the A321LR and longer-range A321XLR. Aer Lingus, Iberia, JetBlue Airways and SAS Scandinavian Airlines all fly the planes between the U.S. and Europe.
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'The biggest transformation in the history of Southwest'
Southwest is in the midst of a massive overhaul of its business. Long an all-economy, open-seating airline focused on the domestic U.S. market, the Dallas-based carrier introduced its first-ever bag fees in May and is assigning seats and selling extra-legroom premium seats for flights from January 2026.
"We're in the middle of the biggest transformation in the history of Southwest Airlines," said Jordan.
Investor pressure is driving the changes, but they come at the cost of Southwest's long-standing maverick reputation in the U.S. market. Critics argue that Southwest is losing its product differentiation from the rest of the U.S. industry, and warn that that changes could cost it customers.
"The strengths at Southwest are incredible and remain intact," Jordan said when asked if Southwest was losing its uniqueness.
International partners, and maybe flying
Southwest is moving full steam ahead adding partners abroad. The list already includes China Airlines, EVA Air and Icelandair, and Jordan said Thursday that the airline is on the "verge of announcing more partners."
Earlier this year, Southwest officially joined the global airline trade group, IATA. The move is a signal to the industry that the Southwest is serious about the international market.
What Southwest has not done yet is add long-haul routes. It could, if it wanted, fly between New England and Western Europe with the Boeing 737 MAX 8s in its fleet; Norwegian Air did this in the late 2010s before canceling the routes amid a larger restructuring of its business.
The MAX 8 can fly 4,000 miles, or about the distance from Southwest's large Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) base and Frankfurt Airport (FRA). Any commercial flight would likely be shorter given the need for fuel reserves.
The airline's longest flight today is 2,917 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
Wall Street analysts speculate that Southwest's first European destination could be Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland, where it could connect to partner Icelandair's flights into Europe.
Southwest does need approval from its pilots and flight attendants before it could add new long-haul flights, Aviation Week has reported.
"We know we have customers that want things we can't provide — like a lounge, like true premium, like long-haul international," said Jordan. He continued that, under his leadership, Southwest would "keep pushing" to meet the demands of its customers.
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