Southwest Airlines COO said the carrier’s lounge concept is the most developed new product but has no launch timetable. He expects the Boeing 737 MAX 7 to enter commercial service in 2027, about six months after certification. Southwest aims to equip 300 aircraft with Starlink by year-end, though rollout depends on Starlink capacity; the airline has not ruled out adding Amazon LEO Wi‑Fi later. He acknowledged activist Elliott Management’s criticism that Southwest’s transformation has been slow.

Southwest Airlines COO said the carrier’s lounge concept is the most developed new product but has no launch timetable. He expects the Boeing 737 MAX 7 to enter commercial service in 2027, about six months after certification. Southwest aims to equip 300 aircraft with Starlink by year-end, though rollout depends on Starlink capacity; the airline has not ruled out adding Amazon LEO Wi‑Fi later. He acknowledged activist Elliott Management’s criticism that Southwest’s transformation has been slow. He said higher interest rates are advantageous for Southwest because competitors are more heavily indebted, and that the move to assigned seating removed a key barrier for customers who previously avoided the airline.