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Southwest founder Herb Kelleher said his planes that failed to undergo complete inspections last year should not have been in the air. But Kelleher also said safety was not compromised, “in any way shape or form.” However, one of the U.S. Representatives questioning Kelleher (and others) pointed out that, “At 35,000 feet in the air, there’s no curb to pull over to, to get out and look under the hood” if there is a problem. This was all part of the congressional hearing formally titled, “Critical Lapses in FAA Safety Oversight of Airlines: Abuses of Regulatory Partnership Programs’.” Click “more” for the rest. |
One of the congressmen doing the questioning noted that, “Southwest Airlines isn’t on trial here.” But clearly the airline was at the heart of the controversy over whether the FAA got too cozy with airlines in general, and were lax on inspections.
Some FAA whistleblowers testified that that was the situation from their viewpoint, and when they complained, they believed their jobs were threatened. One of the congressional questioners seemed to agree with all the “cozy” talk, saying the FAA “fostered an environment of convenience and complacency.”
The colorful Kelleher suggested Southwest’s relationship with the FAA was one of mutual respect, no more: “It wasn’t a kissy, kissy relationship.”
Updates to come.
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