Southwest Airways has simply made an fascinating regulatory request, which is inflicting some folks to wonder if the airline is planning a major worldwide enlargement. Nonetheless, there’s seemingly a boring clarification.
Southwest requests approval for worldwide enlargement
@IshrionA flags how Southwest has simply filed with the Division of Transportation (DOT), requesting permission to function service to any nation that’s a part of the Open Skies settlement with the US. This contains many nations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and so forth.
In different phrases, pending airport slots and availability, this could enable Southwest to massively increase internationally, without having to request regulatory approval for every new route.
What’s really happening right here? Is Southwest on the point of plan an enormous worldwide enlargement? Presently, the airline operates domestically, and in addition flies to pick locations to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The reply is probably going fairly unsexy. We all know that Southwest is beginning to companion with worldwide airways, with the primary partnership being with Icelandair. To begin, that is an interline settlement, however one definitely assumes that the airline ultimately hopes to launch codeshare agreements.
If Southwest desires to codeshare with overseas airways, it wants this authority to take action, so in fact it’s logical that the airline is lastly submitting for this. It’s straightforward authority to get, and even past that, there’s no draw back. So is it doable that Southwest plans some main worldwide enlargement sooner or later sooner or later? Certain. However I wouldn’t view this announcement as being indicative of that, as that is one thing that wanted to be achieved anyway.
May we see Southwest increase internationally, although?
As talked about above, I don’t suppose this regulatory submitting is indicative of Southwest increasing internationally, however relatively it’s in regards to the provider’s new technique of partnering with worldwide airways. Moreover, it’s helpful to have this flexibility anyway, if the airline does resolve it desires to increase internationally sooner or later.
That being mentioned, Southwest is seemingly altering every part about its enterprise mannequin in the mean time, so might we additionally see the airline more and more pursue worldwide flying alternatives? Admittedly Southwest is type of progress constrained in the mean time, given the variety of 737 MAX supply delays we’re seeing.
Personally, I wouldn’t be stunned to see Southwest more and more pursue extra worldwide flying throughout the Americas, the place it’s to extra locations within the Caribbean, or to Northern South America. It’s not a good time so as to add service to Canada, however possibly that might occur sooner or later as properly (although that comes with so many challenges, given the working price drawback, plus excessive airport and authorities taxes and charges).
We will’t rule out that Southwest could ultimately function some form of flights to Europe, provided that Breeze claims it desires to try this with A220s. However I simply suppose the alternatives there aren’t wonderful:
- Southwest can be actually restricted when it comes to the markets wherein it may well function, utilizing Boeing 737 MAXs; the Northeast to Dublin may work, however not far more than that
- I simply don’t see a lot upside, since economic system fares throughout the Atlantic are low-cost for a lot of the 12 months, and Southwest can’t faucet into premium demand
However heck, with the tempo at which Southwest is altering proper now, who is aware of, possibly the airline might be flying all-business class 777Xs a decade down the highway…
Backside line
Southwest has requested blanket authority to benefit from the Open Skies settlement that the US has. It will enable the airline to increase internationally. Nonetheless, don’t count on something too thrilling. The most probably clarification is that that is simply being requested in anticipation of codesharing with overseas airways.
What do you make of this Southwest regulatory request?
