DALLAS (KRLD) - A report by the inspector general of the FAA says Southwest Airlines flew 17 million passengers over the past two years on jets with unconfirmed maintenance records. The report criticizes FAA oversight, saying the agency took no enforcement action against safety issues or hazards.
The investigation was completed over 18 months and says Southwest was "routinely" allowed to fly planes with "unresolved safety concerns."
The report says the FAA and Southwest both failed to adequately investigate a case in Hartford, Connecticut last February where a flight had three consecutive botched landings. The report also says Southwest had incomplete documentation of aircraft inspections.
The audit says the FAA should evaluate the "safety culture" of individual airlines and says FAA employees have complained that Southwest was slow or would resist providing them with safety information.
The audit also says FAA approval of mandatory maintenance certificates occurred in one day; normally, the inspector general says that process three to four weeks.
At Love Field Thursday, passengers said the report does not make them feel any less safe.
"As far as I know, Southwest Airlines is fairly safe," one man said arriving from Phoenix. "I don't travel a lot, but when it's necessary, you fly. Still with that many planes in the air, it's one of the safest ways to travel."
Southwest has responded, saying it "communicated its disappointment to the" office of the inspector general. The airline sent this statement:
"Southwest maintains a culture of compliance, recognizing the Safety of our operation as the most important thing we do. We are proud of our Safety Culture, which includes proactive, non-punitive processes for reporting, including the opportunity for anonymous reports. We are considered one of the world’s most admired companies and uphold an unprecedented safety record.
As part of our Safety Culture, we have a transparent relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which includes an FAA-Approved Safety Management System designed to manage and mitigate operational risks and execute safe operating programs and practices. Our operational systems are built to meet or exceed all regulatory requirements and our Safety Management System is integrated into all of our operational practices in order to evaluate and continuously improve Safety performance.
Our friends, our families board our aircraft and not a single one of us would put anything above their safety – this mission unites us all. The success of our business depends, in and of itself, on the Safety of our operation, and while we work to improve each and every day, any implication that we would tolerate a relaxing of standards is absolutely unfounded."