It isn’t an easy time to be an airline, and Southwest is living proof of that. In spite of our having a good time flying Southwest in Hawaii earlier this week, their pilots, unable to reach a labor agreement with the company, are planning another picket. The previous event took place in June. Not only that but there are accusations from whistleblowers and the FAA alike about some very concerning issues at Southwest. And now, their certification for flights to Hawaii has also been called into question.
Then last month, Federal officials raised the issue that Southwest Airlines and its pilots’ union had “resisted cooperating with investigations into accidents and other incidents and pushed to close the matters quickly.” That included a 2019 pilot-caused error that resulted in significant damage during a landing at Hartford. Insinuations from the FAA were that delay and other resistance tactics were employed by Southwest and the pilots’ union.
In another incident, when a SWA plane overran a runway in Burbank, NTSB found the co-pilot’s conduct was “highly unprofessional.”
Eight issues have been raised by four whistleblowers, some of which the FAA concurred with. The FAA said it took reparative measures such as training and audits to ensure that safety guidelines were followed. In another accusation, Southwest allegedly bought planes overseas and did not verify inspection and maintenance records. The report said that “In more than half of those cases, the airline found that the planes had undergone repair work that wasn’t documented or couldn’t be verified.”
Was there impropriety in the FAA certification of Southwest Hawaii flights?
The FAA said it was unable to verify another allegation that it “improperly certified Southwest for long overwater flights — approval the airline needed to sell flights to Hawaii.” That issue was examined by the Transportation Department’s inspector general, who did not comment further. Nonetheless, just raising such an issue is adequately troubling.
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Five decades of safe flying history.
Southwest has had a good safety record for more than fifty years. This is in spite of safety questions raised over years and money spent to settle safety violation issues. Until recently SWA had never had a passenger fatality incident. There was one in 2018 when a woman was killed by a failed engine that smashed the window where she was sitting.
Southwest labor negotiations with pilots under new leader Bob Jordan.
Southwest Airlines and their pilot’s union are in labor negotiations. New CEO Bob Jordan has said he expects a deal in the next two months, while the union leader says that isn’t possible and is hoping for something by year’s end.
Following a 1,300-member pilot picket at Dallas, another event is scheduled for September.
Another pilot picket event is set for Nashville on September 21, 2022. That will take place at the same time that the company holds a management event in that city.
The pilots’ union complains, among other things, about having to work tens of thousands of days of involuntary labor in just the past year. They also say that only a fraction of the labor agreement has been agreed to by both parties. That while the executives at SWA continue to receive huge bonuses. Pilots feel that the cultural change is both negative and dramatic, from a time when Southwest co-found Herb Kelleher said, “Your people come first, and if you treat them right, they’ll treat the customers right.”
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I wonder how many of these comments or who wrote the article work for Hawaiian Airlines. I wonder is this will get past sensors. 39$ inter island fares sure have ruffled some feathers. I do agree that seat should be assigned. Thank you
I’m not sure why Hawaiians would want or need yet another airline to bring people in from the mainland. I would never fly SWA in these times. Not to mention the great point about no long distance overwater routes, experience?
My first experience on Southwest Airlines two weeks ago did not go very good. There were three of us going to the Kaneohe Bay Airshow from Maui on the first flight. After we boarded on schedule the depart time came and went. After about 30 minutes, the boarding agent came on the loudspeaker and said “sorry but our system has crashed and we don’t have a proper manifest”. Poor choice of words when we were already assuming something was wrong with the plane. Their open seating system came back to bite them as they had no clue who was sitting where or exactly who was on the plane. Finally a list was generated and the agents came down the aisle asking every passenger what their name is. After over an hour of confusion we were on our way.
When SW airplane skidded off the runway at Midway a 6 year boy was killed when the plane hit vehicles on the road outside the airport. They lucked out when the plane went off the runway at Burbank. The plane could have skidded into a gas station and perhaps onto the road.
Those were literally 18 and 22 YEARS ago.
To be honest I never thought it was a good idea to allow planes with only two engines to travel that far over water
Most modern long haul planes are two engines. It’s perfectly safe and far more fuel efficient.
Funny how this is all coming out now just after SW announced $39 inner island flights in Hawaii. Competition is Competition, dirty playing.
These same guys just wrote an article about how Southwest interisland was better than Hawaiian. Has nothing to do with bias.
Eh. Your article begs the question: Does the FAA always know best? Is the FAA a well run, modern, fair, incorruptible agency? Clearly the answer to all of these question is No. The FAA’s notoriously cosy relationship with Boeing–that largely led to the 737 MAX crashes–as been well documented (by former employees of both Boeing and the FAA) and lamented (by competitors) for decades. Massive failures at the FAA also resulted in the 9/11 hijackings and crashes–that essentially crashed the global economy. Personally, I feel very confident flying Southwest anywhere due to their stellar safety record and overall phenomenally run company. They have a Huge vested interest in Not crashing planes–and a Very long track record of safe operation
Southwest also allows Any employee to sign up for the jumpseat without any training or understanding of evacuation procedures. Why would the FAA sign off on that tidbit? I don’t know of another U.S. carrier that allows it.
The cabin flight attendant jumpseats are the only jumpseats that are allowed to be occupied by any Southwest employee. Don’t get that confused with the flight deck jumpseat which is controlled by the FAA as to who can occupy that seat.
Those union fights can get nasty. I tend to favor unions. Southwest is the biggest airline in the country and as such their incident numbers are going to reflect that. I read a story this morning about a United flight sitting out on the runway for 8 hours. The plane had to be refueled and then back to the runway. Eventually the crew had spent too much time in the aircraft and had to be removed. The flight was canceled. I think most of these incidents are a reflection of labor shortages.
Aloha
Southwest, largest domestic airline @ 23% market share. DOT info 2020.
Southwest is great to fly because the fares are reasonable with free 2 check in bags. Don’t like the open seating though.
Is Hawaiian Airlines behind this to knock out Southwest Airlines? I Hawaiian Airlines had the monopoly so we had no choice but to fly Hawaiian. Recently, I’ve been flying Southwest as Hawaiian Airlines has been delayed many times. Southwest Airlines provide wonderful customer service. The flight attendants really make the passengers feel comfortable. Price is right, plus two free baggages. I will continue flying Southwest.
Mahalo
These same guys just wrote an article about how Southwest interisland was better than Hawaiian. Has nothing to do with bias.
Sounds like Hawaiian airlines is up to something again to get rid of competition.
Typical union sabre-rattling. Inuendos do not count. Proven facts do.
Who benefits if Southwest loses its certification to fly to Hawaii?
Not the people. Someone is pushing this and that’s likely another airline.
50 years without an accident tells us a lot about Southwest.
No, I’m not a regular SWA passenger. I don’t like their boarding process, the lack of seat assignments and no real priority coach, no business class, no first class.
Coming to Hawaii next month, flying Hawaiian, as usual.
Other airlines generally do not point fingers at other airlines around safety issues. However, if they did, I bet it was Hawaiian in this instance in regards to the overwater certification!
As Chicken Little said….”the sky is falling”