For decades, simplified fleets have been one of the airline industry's most trusted cost-control strategies. By standardizing around a single aircraft family, carriers can streamline pilot training, maintenance, and scheduling logistics. After all, airlines like Southwest Airlines and Ryanair have been very successful in keeping their expenses low by operating 737-only fleets.

But in today's environment, simplification is no longer just a cost strategy; it has become a risk management decision. Certification delays and growing dependence on a small number of manufacturers have introduced new risks, forcing airlines to rethink whether simplification still delivers the long-term benefits it once did.

All Eggs in One Basket

Southwest Airlines’ latest annual report puts it in layman’s terms: the carrier’s “use of a single aircraft type, the Boeing 737, allows for simplified scheduling, maintenance, flight operations, safety management, and training activities,” which is one of the pillars of the company’s strategy to focus on cost discipline and offering attractive fares.

The report also outlined the risks of relying on a single planemaker. According to the airline, if the 737 MAX “were to become unavailable for [its] operations, or if [Southwest Airlines] were not able to procure future aircraft in a timely manner or on favorable commercial terms, [the airline’s] business plans, strategies, and results of operations could be affected.”

For Southwest Airlines, this theoretical risk has, unfortunately, materialized. The airline is the launch customer for the 737 MAX 7, the smallest aircraft within the 737 MAX family. Boeing launched the variant in May 2013, with an initially planned delivery date of 2019.

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