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(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago Aviation Department official falsified runway conditions at Midway Airport, at the request of an airline employee, during a 2018 incident that calls safety into question, the city’s Inspector General reported Thursday.
The IG report said a deputy commissioner of aviation changed the runway conditions report from “wet” to “dry,” after that official got a call at home from an airline official who requested the change.
The airline official’s motivation, according to the IG’s report, is that “dry” runway conditions meant the airline could put more passengers on planes — and make more money.
The report on the 2018 incident does not identify the airline, but Crain’s Chicago Business reports that it’s Southwest Airlines.
The aviation department official retired and was placed on a do-not-rehire list.
"The safety and security of our airports is CDA's highest priority, and we can confidently say it was not compromised during this specific incident," a spokesperson said Thursday.
Southwest denies that one of its employees was involved in the incident. Here is the airline’s complete statement:
“The Safety of our Employees and Customers is the uncompromising priority at Southwest Airlines and we would never put that Safety at risk. Across the board, Southwest is focused on maintaining a culture of compliance, recognizing Safety across our operation is absolutely the most important consideration. Specific to this situation, Southwest refutes any allegations it attempted to influence or exert any pressure on how airfield conditions were recorded at Midway Airport. Any implication that we would place anything above Safety is unfounded.”