RIO DE JANEIRO, June 6 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines ( LUV )

expects Boeing's ( BA ) long-delayed 737 MAX 7 to enter

revenue service in 2027, about six months after the aircraft is

certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Chief

Operating Officer Andrew Watterson told Reuters on Saturday.

Watterson said the airline remains focused on the MAX family

and is seriously studying airport lounges, trans-oceanic flying,

and more premium seating as part of a broader transformation.

Tony Roach, Southwest's ( LUV ) chief customer and brand officer,

said the carrier has not ruled out using Amazon's Leo satellite

network even as it begins rolling out Starlink-powered Wi-Fi.

The interviews happened on the sidelines of the

International Air Transport Association's annual summit in Rio

de Janeiro.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Rio de Janeiro)