Southwest says a widebody order has “no credibility.” Six months before it ended free bags, it said no work was underway. Denials from Dallas expire fast.

A Denial With A Short Shelf Life

On its October 22nd, 2026 earnings call, CEO, Bob Jordan, shot down reports of a widebody order as having “no credibility.” The reports came from a Reuters exclusive two weeks earlier, citing three unnamed sources who said Southwest was looking at Boeing 787s for a long-haul push , possibly leased or second-hand, with a launch window of roughly three years. At the time, Southwest’s only comment was that it had no news forthcoming on its fleet plans. We have heard this before.

His reasoning was mostly that it would require significant changes in the business model. Operating aircraft with more than 175 seats would send the airline back to its pilots, and the pilot contract likely opens next year. Another 737 variant would be “significantly easier” than a widebody.…