Southwest Airlines Converts Options To Orders For 79 Boeing 737s

[Naim 6]

This is truly awesome!

 

.ny

 

+++

 

April 21, 2006 10:05 AM

 

Southwest Airlines Converts Options To Orders For 79 Boeing 737s

 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Boeing and Southwest Airlines said the airline converted options into orders for 79 Next-Generation 737-700s, bringing the airline's total past and future Boeing orders for 737-700s to 370 airplanes.

 

Airplanes covered by the converted options will be delivered between 2007 and 2012 in a deal worth approximately US$4.5 billion at list prices, Boeing said in a statement issued from Seattle Thursday.

 

Southwest now has 140 undelivered 737s on order from Boeing.

 

Southwest, the first and one of the world's most successful low-cost carriers, operates an all-Boeing fleet of 452 737s, including seven airplanes delivered so far this year.

 

"Southwest Airlines and the 737 are one of commercial aviation's greatest success stories," said Alan Mulally, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "Southwest's continued choice of the 737 validates our shared view that passengers want affordable, comfortable nonstop service to where they want to go, when they want to go there."

 

"The 737 has contributed to Southwest's success through double-digit utilization rates, low fuel consumption, low maintenance costs and quick turnaround times," Mulally said.

 

"This exercise of options will facilitate our growth plans into the next decade," said Laura Wright, Southwest's chief financial officer.

 

"The 737 is an efficient airplane and it will help us bring more low fares to millions of customers."

 

In February, Southwest took delivery of the 5,000th Boeing 737. Later this summer, Southwest is slated to receive Boeing's 2,000th Next-Generation 737.

 

Boeing has sold more than 6,200 737s to carriers worldwide. On June 18, 1971, Southwest took to the skies with three Boeing-financed 737-200s.

 

Since then the carrier has been the launch customer for the 737-300, the 737-500 and the 737-700 models.

 

With this order, sales of Next-Generation 737 airplanes (-600, -700, -800, -900, -900ER) have eclipsed sales of the Classic 737 airplane family.

 

The number of Next-Generation 737s sold totals 3,162, compared with 3,132 Classic 737s sold.

 

As of March 31, 2006, Boeing Commercial Airplanes had 1,177 unfilled orders for the 737 with a value of about $75 billion at list prices.

 

-- BERNAMA

[Seth K 3]

I can feel Boeing will win the narrowbody market this year!

[Isaac 0]

Boeing rocks !

[Naim 6]

I just can't imagine managing 452 units of B737s. If all the planes were to fly together in formation, it'd prolly look like the Battle of Britain!

 

 

.ny

[Raj 0]

Wow 452 planes..god damm..And Plus it's a Low Cost Carrier..

That would be an amazing site..452 737's flying togather..

[Bing Chu 0]

That would be an amazing site..452 737's flying togather..

Grand sight indeed, but spare a thought for poor air traffic control !

[Pieter C. 5]

..god damm..

 

Raj,

 

PLEASE, refrain from using these remarks at a public site, like MW, and, please, DO respect God- or Allah fearing people <_ src="%7B___base_url___%7D/uploads/emoticons/default_wink.png" alt=";)">

[Seth K 3]

I just can't imagine managing 452 units of B737s. If all the planes were to fly together in formation, it'd prolly look like the Battle of Britain!

 

 

.ny

 

Imagine American/Eagle with more than 900 planes+ widebodies

 

[H Azmal 0]

Not meaning to be pedantic but why is this piece quoted in Kuala Lumpur?

 

Just curious.

[Naim 6]

Imagine American/Eagle with more than 900 planes+ widebodies

 

I wonder how many planes United (and its partners) operate? Btw this must be my fave UA transport:

 

 

Anybody wanna guess what it is? Taken at SJO last June, discreetly with cam-phone. Flight to LAX.

 

.ny

[Seth K 3]

Looks like CRJ 200

United operate 460 planes

Ted operate 56 planes

[Isaac 0]

Not meaning to be pedantic but why is this piece quoted in Kuala Lumpur?

 

Just curious.

Because they might be some people in this forum who are very interested with the airline news outside Southeast Asia

 

[Seth K 3]

Because they might be some people in this forum who are very interested with the airline news outside Southeast Asia

 

Bringing everybody together

[Naim 6]

Looks like CRJ 200

United operate 460 planes

Ted operate 56 planes

 

Yup, spot on, Seth. But the cutest UA jet I've been in must be the ERJ-145. Three seats abreast and we once landed at IAD in the sleet!

 

.ny