New Report Finds Southwest Didn’t Prioritize Safety

A government report scheduled to be released in the next few days will say that Southwest Airlines did not prioritize safety and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not done enough to hold the airline accountable.

According to reports, Southwest pilots flew more than 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over roughly two years, and the report criticizes the FAA oversight of the carrier and that it’s lax approach “served to justify continued noncompliance with safety regulations.”

The report comes after an 18-month-long inquiry by the inspector general and alleges that the Dallas-area office that supervises Southwest routinely allowed the carrier “to fly aircraft with unresolved safety concerns.”

“It is clear that the Agency is not yet effectively navigating the balance between industry collaboration and managing safety risks at the carrier,” says the report.

Southwest put out a statement disagreeing with the report’s findings.

“We have communicated our disappointment in the draft audit report to the OIG and will continue to communicate any concerns directly with its office,” she said in an email, adding that Southwest’s safety systems meet or exceed all regulatory requirements. “Our friends, our families board our aircraft and not a single one of us would put anything above their safety.”

The FAA is also facing ongoing criticism of its relationship with Boeing, approving the company’s 737 MAX jet when there were safety concerns.

This news also follows on the heels of reports that suggest the FAA considered grounding as many as 38 of Southwest’s planes due to insufficient paperwork pertaining to the planes’ maintenance records last month.