In July 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stepped up oversight of Southwest Airways, after the airline had a collection of shut calls, largely involving pilot error. Since then, the FAA has been auditing the airline to determine if there are any areas for enchancment, and the outcomes are in…
FAA identifies no questions of safety at Southwest
Final week, the FAA put out a press release relating to its Southwest security audit, indicating that it has “completed its Certificates Holder Analysis Program (CHEP) of Southwest Airways,” and that “the assessment didn’t establish any vital questions of safety.”
In response to this, Southwest issued a press release that it “appreciates the chance to interact with the FAA as a part of our mutual dedication to security,” and that “nothing is extra necessary to Southwest than the Security of our Prospects and Staff.”
I suppose that’s optimistic, within the sense that the provider’s protocols are according to what they need to be. However ultimately it’s virtually extra regarding, when you think about the frequency of points we’ve seen on the airline (as I lately coated), and that nothing is incorrect.
Southwest is certainly one of two main US airways to be below elevated scrutiny from the FAA in current instances. In March 2024, the FAA equally audited United (extra associated to upkeep than piloting), and likewise discovered nothing incorrect.
Why was Southwest being audited by the FAA?
Southwest is a large airline that carries extra passengers than another US airline. The provider traditionally had an awesome security file, so why was the airline all of a sudden below elevated scrutiny from regulators?
Nicely, it got here after a stunning variety of shut calls on the Dallas-based provider. Simply within the months main as much as the investigation being opened, we noticed a scary go round in Hawaii, a dangerously low method in Oklahoma Metropolis, an inflight Dutch roll, taking off from a closed runway, and a dangerously low method in Tampa. And people are simply a number of of the incidents which have been reported and have been made public, so who is aware of what number of different incidents are on the market.
With the FAA not having discovered something incorrect, one definitely has to surprise what conclusion we should always draw from the variety of incidents at Southwest?
- Is the variety of shut calls at Southwest simply regular, however with the general public more and more listening to ATC audio and monitoring flight actions, it’s simply getting extra publicity?
- Is that this simply what occurs when the typical seniority within the cockpit is method down as a result of pandemic, and also you’re an airline as huge as Southwest?
- Have been the variety of incidents only a actually unfortunate coincidence, and there’s nothing extra to it?
Backside line
The FAA has concluded its security audit of Southwest, and has discovered no main factors of concern. The investigation was began after the airline had a collection of shut calls, largely involving pilot error both on takeoff or method. Whereas pilots are solely human and make errors, the variety of points we noticed actually was a head-scratcher.
What do you make of the FAA concluding its Southwest security audit?
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