Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Citing improving market conditions and optimistic projections for a relatively robust Covid recovery, Southwest Airlines has exercised options on another 34 Boeing 737 Max 7s, bringing its firm order total for the smallest Max variant to 234, the company reported Tuesday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

 


The company said it expects to take delivery of all 34 of the jets next year, bringing its 2022 Max 7 delivery total to 64. In late March Southwest placed a firm order for 100 Max 7s to replace its 737-700s after a lengthy evaluation that pitted the Boeing product against the Airbus A220-300.

 


In its filing, Southwest said it expects its second-quarter 2021 capacity to increase some 87 percent year-over-year and decrease by about 16 percent compared with the second quarter of 2019. The company also expects its August 2021 capacity to increase by 39 percent, year-over-year, and essentially match August 2019 levels.

 


Passenger demand and booking trends remain primarily leisure-oriented,&nbsp;said Southwest. Despite recent improvements in leisure demand, the company noted it remains cautious, that it continues to plan for different fleet and capacity scenarios, and that it will continue to monitor demand and booking trends and adjust capacity as needed.

 


The company's average core cash burn totaled about $2 million per day in May 2021. It now estimates its average cash burn, which excludes changes in working capital, to fall in the range of $1 million to $2 million per day in the second quarter of 2021, compared with its previous estimate in the range of $1 million to $3 million per day. Based on current booking trends and cost outlook, the company continues to expect to achieve breakeven average core cash flow, or better, this month, it added.

 


Southwest recently received the second disbursement of the $926 million of payroll support funding it secured under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, totaling the full $1.9 billion of expected payroll support. As of June 7, the company held cash and short-term investments of some $16.6 billion, well in excess of its outstanding debt, it concluded. &nbsp;

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Southwest Airlines Adds to Max 7 Orderbook 

A conversion of options on another 34 Boeing 737 Max 7s raises Southwest’s firm order total for the smallest Max variant to 234.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

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News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

City officials and a local university are working with manufacturer Electra 

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Broker says new aircraft production rates and tax changes are key drivers

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Aircraft flew Jacksonville to San Diego nonstop

SyberJet SJ30-2 Sets Unofficial Transcontinental Record

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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