Southwest Airlines has placed an order for 100 new Boeing 737 Max airplanes, with the option to acquire 155 additional units.
The company has been using Boeing’s 737 series aircraft for the past five decades and has now renewed its purchase agreement with the manufacturer, Boeing said in a media statement on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Southwest will buy up to 600 units of the 737-7s and 737-8s in the next 10 years.
The contract is part of Southwest modernizing a large chunk of its fleet which consists of Boeing 737 airplanes. Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial, said that the COVID-19 vaccinations are driving the recovery of the aerospace industry and air travel.