Southwest Again Under FAA Investigation

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX –

Southwest Airlines confirms the Federal Aviation Administration is once again investigating safety and repair practices on some of its jets. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.

The FAA says it's looking into maintenance procedures on some 44 Southwest jets the company ok'd without first getting FAA approval, as required. Reports indicate Southwest used a repair business near Seattle to replace or patch some aluminum fuselage sections.

According to reports, the repair company may not have done the job properly. Still, the FAA approved the repairs after the fact. Whitney Eichinger, with Southwest, says the Airline recognizes and supports the FAA's regulatory role.

Eichinger: Above all else, the primary focus is safety. All of our maintenance operations promote aviation safety by working in coordination with the FAA, equipment manufactures and aircraft maintenance organizations.

Last year, the FAA says Southwest also installed unapproved parts, but gave the carrier months to fix the problem.

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