Sunday, 5 May 2024

Southwest says disappointed with government audit on safety lapses

(Reuters) – Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) said on Thursday it was disappointed with a government audit that claimed the U.S. carrier failed to prioritize safety by flying millions of passengers on its jets with unconfirmed maintenance records.

The findings of U.S. Department of Transportation, first reported here by the Wall Street Journal, also criticized U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for oversight of the airline’s safety procedures.

“We have communicated our disappointment in the draft audit report to the Office of Inspector General and will continue to communicate any concerns directly with its office,” Southwest said in a statement. “Any implication that we would tolerate a relaxing of standards is absolutely unfounded.”

Southwest flew more than 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over roughly two years, and in 2019 smashed both wingtips of a jet on a runway while repeatedly trying to land amid gale-force winds, the WSJ reported, citing the government audit report.

The airline has been conducting a physical inspection of 88 pre-owned Boeing (BA.N) 737 aircraft, following maintenance concerns raised by the FAA in 2018. The planes were bought between 2013 and 2017 from 16 foreign carriers.

Southwest has said it plans to complete the checks that revealed previously undisclosed repairs and incorrectly completed fixes on some of the used planes before Jan. 31.

Shares of the airline were down 1.2% at $56.22.

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