Southwest going south?
Southwest Airlines has a reputation for doing things well in an industry where that's become more the exception than the norm. And its safety record couldn't have been better -- until last week.
The FAA socked the discount airline with a $10.2 million fine last week for flying planes without checking for fuselage cracks during safety inspections. Yesterday, the airline grounded 43 of its planes to make sure they were airworthy in light of the missed inspections.
That's comforting.
Tomorrow, I'm flying to Boston for a journalism conference. I often take Southwest when I go to Boston, so I quick checked my flight printout. US Airways. Whew.
Of course, after giving the issue some thought (and watching a report on Nightline about the airline last night) I decided I still feel comfortable flying Southwest.
I liked that the company grounded the planes of their own accord. I liked that both the company's president and CEO didn't dance around reporters' questions. They said they missed something important. And they're taking steps to fix it.
To me, it seems like that's the right thing for a company to do when its president goes on national television and says theirs is a corporate culture where employees are forgiven for mistakes when learning (except when it's a safety issue) but not for lying, cheating or lack of integrity.
That's the kind of philosophy you wish more companies had. That's why I'll still fly Southwest.
How did you react to the news? Will you still fly Southwest? What do you think of the way the company handled the situation? Post a comment and share your thoughts.
