Southwest Airlines said it had ordered 34 new Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft to receive in 2022, as the US airline prepares for a vaccine-driven recovery in travel demand.

The move brings the carrier’s total orders for the MAX 7 to 234 jets..

Bookings for US airlines are expected to rebound this year on the back of speedy Covid-19 vaccinations and easing restrictions after the pandemic caused one of the industry’s worst downturns in 2020.

Southwest said it expected revenue to continue to improve in June, driven mainly by leisure travel.

It also tightened its second-quarter average core cash burn forecast to between $1 million and $2 million per day, compared with the previous range of $1 million to $3 million per day.

But the company said that weak business travel, which has lagged a recovery in leisure demand, would continue to impact its fares in the second quarter.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority – Qatar