Southwest Airlines negotiating over safety violation penalties

Southwest Airlines is continuing to negotiate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding alleged safety violations, nearly four months after the airline’s deadline for paying a $10.2 million penalty imposed by regulators.

Southwest is hoping to reduce the amount of the penalty, which had been proposed by the FAA when it discovered that the carrier operated thousands of flights on planes that had failed to be inspected for cracks in their fuselages.

The airline contends that the fine is excessive, because it had reported missed inspections to federal regulators and because it has made improvements to its safety procedures. In addition, the carrier has established an independent division that oversees safety compliance and has hired a maintenance procedures auditor, a Southwest spokeswoman said on Monday.

“We’re looking for a solution that is fair and reasonable given the facts,” said spokeswoman Beth Harbin.

Harbin commented that no timetable has been set for settling the issue, although the airline was given a deadline in August by the FAA to either pay the fine or have the matter referred to the Justice Department.

Les Dorr, speaking on behalf of the FAA, confirmed that officials at the administrator are “still discussing the amount” with the airline, saying that it was part of the normal process of negotiation in this type of action.

“We try to take into account an air carrier’s attitude and the real improvement they make in a program when we decide what a penalty should be,” he said.

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