Southwest leans to Boeing 737 Max order after rare flirtation with Airbus

Southwest appears poised to stay an all-Boeing 737 operator after giving the Airbus A220 a close look during the Max grounding. Speaking at a conference Monday, Southwest CFO Tammy Romo said the carrier “continues to believe that there are many advantages to having a single fleet type, including a greater degree of simplicity and efficiency, translating to lower costs,” according to a report on the session. She did note that the A220 was a “viable competitor” to the Boeing 737 Max. Boeing’s future as a major commercial aircraft manufacturer hangs, at least partially, on the carrier’s pending order for a jet to replace many of the 470 737-700s in its fleet over the next decade. A defection to the A220 by the largest 737 operator in the world would be a huge blow to the planemaker at a time when it is desperate to rebuild its tattered reputation after the 20-month Max grounding. Romo did not commit to an order for the 737-7 at the conference. However, her comments fit with a recent report that Boeing and Southwest are near a “multibillion-dollar deal” for dozens of the jet.<br/>