Southwest Airlines Completes Critical Fleet Retrofit Ahead of Assigned Seating Launch

Southwest Airlines has successfully completed the physical reconfiguration of its Boeing 737-700 fleet, clearing the final operational hurdle before the carrier’s historic shift to assigned seating. According to a public statement by Southwest Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tom Doxey, the airline’s Technical Operations team finished the modifications on January 20, 2026, one week ahead of the scheduled launch.

The completion of this retrofit marks a significant milestone in Southwest’s transformation. On January 27, the airline will officially debut assigned seating and premium extra-legroom options, ending more than 50 years of its signature open-seating policy. The project required the physical removal of seats across hundreds of aircraft to accommodate the new cabin layout.

Retrofitting the Boeing 737-700 Fleet

The primary logistical challenge cited by Doxey involved the airline’s fleet of approximately 300 Boeing 737-700 aircraft. Unlike the larger 737-800 and MAX 8 variants, which could be reconfigured with less impact on seat count, the 737-700s required a reduction in capacity to offer the promised extra legroom.

In his statement, Doxey confirmed that the retrofit necessitated the removal of one full row of seats from these aircraft. This modification reduces the seat count by six per plane, creating the necessary pitch for the new premium cabin sections.

Strategic Timing to Protect Holiday Revenue

According to Doxey, the original operational plan called for these modifications to begin prior to the 2025 holiday travel season. However, airline leadership identified a significant financial risk in that timeline. Because aircraft rotate throughout the network, modifying even a small portion of the fleet early would have forced the airline to sell tickets based on the lower seat count across the entire fleet type.

“Because our aircraft flow throughout our network, removing six seats from even a few aircraft would have required us to start selling to the lower seat count across the entire fleet type, a meaningful impact during the high‑demand holiday period.”

, Tom Doxey, EVP & CFO, Southwest Airlines

To avoid this revenue displacement during the high-demand holiday window, the Technical Operations team proposed compressing the schedule into January 2026. This strategy allowed Southwest to maintain full capacity through the end of 2025.

Execution: The “Overnight” Overhaul

The revised schedule required an aggressive pace of work throughout January. Doxey noted that the Technical Operations team executed the modifications almost exclusively at night. By working on aircraft while they were grounded overnight, the team ensured that the fleet remained available for commercial service during the day, preventing operational disruptions.

Doxey reported that the team’s confidence in the compressed timeline was well-founded. The work on all active aircraft was finalized on January 20, ensuring the fleet is fully standardized for the January 27 launch of the new seating products.

“Yesterday, we received confirmation that they completed the work on all active aircraft, a full week ahead of schedule. An awesome accomplishment by an outstanding (and usually behind‑the‑scenes) team that ensures we’re ready for next week.”

, Tom Doxey, EVP & CFO, Southwest Airlines

AirPro News analysis

The successful completion of this retrofit highlights Southwest’s operational agility during a period of intense scrutiny. The shift to assigned seating is not merely a cosmetic change but a fundamental alteration of the airline’s business model, driven in part by changing consumer preferences and pressure to increase Revenue Per Available Seat Mile (RASM).

By delaying the seat removal until January, Southwest likely preserved millions in potential revenue during the 2025 holiday peak, a critical move as the airline seeks to demonstrate financial resilience to investors. The ability to execute a fleet-wide reconfiguration in under four weeks without impacting daily reliability suggests that despite the massive changes to the passenger experience, the carrier’s backend operations remain highly capable.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does assigned seating start on Southwest?
Southwest launches assigned seating and extra-legroom options on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Did Southwest remove seats from all planes?
The specific reduction of six seats (one row) mentioned by CFO Tom Doxey applies to the Boeing 737-700 fleet, which comprises approximately 300 aircraft. Other fleet types like the 737-800 and MAX 8 were reconfigured but did not require the same row-removal strategy.

Why did they wait until January to change the seats?
The airline delayed the work to avoid reducing seat capacity during the busy 2025 holiday travel season. Starting earlier would have forced them to sell fewer tickets per flight to account for the modified planes circulating in the network.

Sources

• Tom Doxey (LinkedIn)