Texas Court Allows Southwest Pilots’ Lawsuit Against Boeing

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) can proceed with its lawsuit against Boeing, following a decision by the Texas Supreme Court siding with the union. The ruling allows pilots to continue pursuing claims that Boeing misled them about the safety of the 737 Max aircraft prior to its global grounding.

The case dates back to 2019, when SWAPA filed suit alleging that Boeing made false assurances about the airworthiness of the 737 Max. The union claimed that its pilots agreed to fly the aircraft based on Boeing’s representations, which were later undermined by two deadly crashes: Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019. The accidents killed a combined 346 people.

“Boeing’s errors cost lives, damaged trust between pilots and passengers, and disrupted air travel across the U.S. and globally,” the union stated at the time. SWAPA also noted that the March 2019 grounding of the 737 Max resulted in over 30,000 canceled Southwest flights, allegedly leading to more than $100 million in lost compensation for pilots.

Boeing argued that the lawsuit should be blocked under the federal Railway Labor Act, which governs labor disputes in the airline and rail industries. The company claimed that the union lacked standing and that the claims were subject to collective bargaining agreements.

However, the Texas Supreme Court ruled otherwise. “We conclude that the Railway Labor Act does not preempt SWAPA’s claims,” wrote Justice Jeff Boyd, stating that the case does not rely on interpreting labor contracts. The case now returns to a lower trial court for further proceedings.

The ruling comes as Boeing continues to face scrutiny after the recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787, which killed at least 270 people. Investigators are still analyzing the role of an emergency power generator activated during the crash.

Safety remains a key concern across the aviation industry. Just last week, Southwest Airlines announced it is working with Honeywell to roll out new safety software across its fleet. The technology will enhance pilot situational awareness, alerting crews to excessive speed, altitude deviations, or incorrect runway alignment during taxi, takeoff, and landing.


Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=southwest+airlines, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, chron.com