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Uh-oh, Southwest Airlines is in Trouble
By DesertMama | March 12, 2008
Everyone loves Southwest Airlines. They’re good to their employees, they have loyal customers, and they have always had a wonderful safety record. I know, I worked there for five years and loved every moment.
But, last I heard SWA had to ground 43 of their aircraft from their 737-300 and 737-500 fleets. Why? SWA found inaccuracies regarding their safety records and brought their findings to the FAA. Now the airline is facing a $10.2 million violation fine. Yikes!
The airline has canceled 4% of today’s Southwest flights due to the aircraft pull and some weather issues. SWA says they are being overly conservative by inspecting or reinspecting the aircraft. Fortunately, as of this afternoon almost half of the inspections are complete and some of the jets have already returned to the air.
The findings: So far, four of the aircraft did have cracks but they have been repaired properly. The one thing I know from my experience in the airline industry is that cracks in aircraft are common. Does that sound scary? Don’t fear. They’re just part of the wear of an airplane. That’s why regular inspections are necessary. And yes, Boeing released a statement saying the cracks on these aircraft never jeopardized the safety of the aircraft. Whew!
Should you worry? No. The aircraft in question are being properly inspected and are currently undergoing evaluations. In situations like this, we will be better off because the FAA and SWA are ensuring the aircraft are thoroughly inspected and 100% airworthy. The good news is SWA still has an outstanding safety record and if anything we should feel safer knowing SWA has been under recent scrutiny. Besides, this situation will soon be resolved and only make the industry require higher safety standards not just for the LUV airline but all airlines - and that’s a good thing.
Topics: Flying High |
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