dailynewsnblog
For decades, 
Southwest Airlines has been a beacon of domestic and short-haul international flying in the United States, with its blue-clad aircraft from the Boeing 737 series of narrowbody twinjets whisking passengers away for low fares. Now, however, reports are suggesting that it may be about to look further afield, and that it is considering an acquisition for widebodies from the Boeing 787 family.
This would mark an interesting departure from the low-cost/hybrid carrier’s usual operations, but the long-haul market to and from the US is undeniably a fruitful one. It does already offer interline long-haul connectivity on European routes via carriers such as Condor and Icelandair, but could it be about to cut out the middleman? In terms of second-hand 787 acquisitions, Norse Atlantic is the likely target.
Southwest Airlines Eyes Boeing 787 Dreamliners For Long-Haul Flights
Reuters reported on Thursday that, according to sources close to the matter, those involved in fleet planning at Southwest Airlines are considering acquiring Boeing 787s as the carrier’s first widebody aircraft. While no final decision has been made on the matter, it is thought that the carrier is aiming for a three-year timescale. This would likely mean that Southwest would have to acquire used 787s.
After all, as One Mile At A Time notes, in terms of new deliveries, the Dreamliner is sold out for the rest of the decade. As such, unless Boeing was able to open up some slots for Southwest, used aircraft would likely be the only realistic option for the timescales noted. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines told Reuters on Thursday that “we do not have any news forthcoming related to our fleet plans.”
Simple Flying has reached out to Southwest Airlines for further information on this matter. We will update our coverage upon receiving a statement from the carrier.
Norse Atlantic Airways Would Likely Be The Second-Hand Source
As it happens, such an acquisition may have actually been in the works for longer than first appears to be the case. Indeed, Enilria reported back in July of 2025 that rumors were circulating about Southwest Airlines leasing Boeing 787s from low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways to commence long-haul flights to Europe. This came at a time when Norse was dealing with a challenging financial setup.
More recently, in August of this year, further coverage by Enilria highlighted “rumblings of Alaska Airlines or Southwest chasing [Norse Atlantic Airways’] planes,” as the struggling airline sought a lease deal to help secure its financial future. However, the site noted on Thursday that, given Southwest’s current lack of widebodies, pay negotiations for new long-haul pilots could be a spanner in the works.
With Norse and Southwest Airlines both sitting on the low-cost spectrum, it would also make sense for the blue-clad US carrier to acquire used 787s from the struggling long-haul operator in terms of not having to rework the configuration too much. According to aeroLOPA, Norse’s current 787s have a high-density configuration with space for 338 guests: 56 in premium economy and 282 in economy class.
The Current State Of The Southwest Airlines Fleet
Southwest Airlines is famous for its all-Boeing narrowbody fleet, with the 737 series being its current aircraft family of choice. According to ch-aviation, the carrier currently has a total of 823 737s at its disposal, with just under half being 737 MAX 8s. It has 343 of these jets in its fleet at an average age of just 3.7 years old, and another 193 on order. Southwest also has 228 outstanding orders for the MAX 7.
At the older end of the age spectrum, Southwest Airlines also currently has 290 737-700s in its fleet, aged 20.3 years old on average, and 190 737-800s with a mean age of 11 years old. Overall, its average fleet age is 9.9 years old. Historically speaking, ch-aviation notes that Southwest has operated a further 224 737-700s and 17 737-800s, as well as 36 737-200s, 195 737-300s, 25 737-500s, and 88 717-200s.
