Starting from May 1, Southwest Airlines will initiate the retrofitting of its entire fleet, incorporating premium seating and transitioning to an assigned seating boarding procedure.
Landon Nitschke, senior vice president of technical operations, stated that over 800 aircraft need retrofitting by December 31 to provide the new extended legroom product.
The airline plans to convert between seven and ten aircraft each night in hangars across the United States, including locations in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Orlando, and Denver.
A new line maintenance hangar will be opened at Baltimore International, which will accommodate three B737s and offer apron space for an additional eight aircraft.
This initiative forms part of a broader business turnaround strategy, which includes red-eye flights, voluntary redundancies, baggage fees, assigned seating, and expanded partnerships following a challenging 2024.
