What is the Southwest Green Plane?
From the outside, the “Green” Plane looks just like any other Southwest Boeing 737-700 aircraft. However, the interior boasts cutting-edge, environmentally-friendly products.
How many aircraft will be Green Planes?
Southwest has dedicated one aircraft—WN222 to be the Green Plane. WN222 is a 737-700 and has been in service for four years.
Why is Southwest testing a Green Plane?
Southwest is proud to lead the aviation industry in environmental stewardship.Working with eco-friendly vendors, we are excited to test their forward-thinking products and expect these green products to not only help the environment, but also create a fuel and materials cost saving for Southwest.
What will products will be “green” on the aircraft?
InterfaceFLOR Carpet—this carpet reduces labor and material costs because it is installed in sections, thus eliminating the need for total replacement of areas such as aisles where Southwest currently uses one single piece of carpet. The 100 percent recyclable carpet is returned to the manufacturer at the end of its service life and completely re-manufactured into new carpet; the process is completely carbon neutral.
Seat Covers—two new products that will be tested on the aircraft seats, offering more than twice the durability than the current leather seats as well as a weight savings of almost two pounds per seat.
• On one side of the aisle, e-Leather is an eco-friendly, lightweight and scuff resistant man-made alternative to traditional leather. It is made from recycled materials that have been discarded by the leather industry. It is then upgraded utilizing eco friendly technology, resulting in composition leather, a man-made material.
• On the other side of the aisle, IZIT Leather, a new breed of premium leather alternative, is an evolutionary step beyond calf skin that offers a lightweight product that is both economical and durable, but with the genuine appearance and touch of luxurious leather.
Life Vest Pouch—more environmentally friendly because it offers a weight savings of one pound per passenger. The smaller pouch also creates more room under the seat for carryon items and offers productivity improvements due to design change.
Wind Screen—bulkhead product that lasts longer than the current leather product, thus reducing labor costs and waste.
Rub Strips—switching from plastic to aluminum will help with durability, which reduces waste, as well as being recyclable.
Did it cost Southwest much money to create this Green Plane?
No, the costs that were incurred will be a “wash” by the weight and fuel savings, as well as the cost savings on leather refurbishment. Typically, environmentally-conscience decisions make great business sense, and the Green Plane is a perfect example of this.
How much will Southwest save with all of these green efforts?
We anticipate the combination of these initiatives could save Southwest up to five pounds per seat, which would result in greater fuel and emissions savings. Additionally, we expect these eco-friendly products to be more durable, which will save on materials and labor.
Was the plane taken out of service so the green products could be installed?
One of the reasons WN222 was chosen to be Southwest's Green Plane was because it was already scheduled to have its seats refurbished.
How long will the Green Plane be in service?
In essence, WN222 will function as a “flying laboratory” for these eco-friendly products with evaluation and testing ongoing. The usage results and Customer feedback will be shared with the product vendors and will aid Southwest in making a decision on how best to move forward with these green products.
Will the Green Plane be on a specific route?
No, the Green Plane will be in regular service and will not fly a specific route.
Will Southwest be going full fleet with all Green Planes?
This is a true test of these products. We are testing durability of the new materials, along with Customer comfort, so until we have a significant test period and data, the green plane elements will not go full fleet.
Will the exterior of the aircraft look different?
The airplane will have Southwest's Spirit color scheme, but will have a special “Green” decal on the nose.
Will the interior of the aircraft look different?
No, WN222 will have the same Spirit interior the rest of Southwest's fleet.
How will Customers know they are on a Green Plane?
The Flight Attendant will make an announcement letting the Customers know that they are on the Green Plane. Additionally, there will be a placard located in the front of the plane that will display our environmental commitment, an informational buck slip in each seat back pocket, and overhead bin clings with “Did you know” statements about Southwest's Green commitments.
Back to: Our Planet, Our Plane, Our Plan
For more information on how Southwest does the right thing for the environment, go to http://www.southwest.com/cares