FAA completes review of Southwest Airlines: No significant safety issues

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its safety review of Southwest Airlines - the regulator said it did not find any significant safety issues with the low-cost carrier following a series of incidents this year.

As reported by Reuters, the US aviation regulator has concluded it "did not identify any significant safety issues" in its five-month review of Southwest.

The FAA opened its review in July following multiple safety scares on Southwest flights this year, precipitated by an incident that same month when a Southwest aircraft flew at a dangerously low altitude of 150 ft over Tampa Bay off the coast of Florida.

The review was opened to determine whether Southwest was adequately following federal safety standards. Other incidents that led to the safety review include:

• An April flight that dropped to 400 ft off the coast of Hawaii
• A June flight that reached an altitude of 500 ft upon approach in Oklahoma
• A 737 MAX flight in May that experienced a "Dutch roll" at 34,000 ft
• A June flight that took off from a closed runway in Portland, Maine

During the April incident over Hawaii, the flight's first officer accidentally pushed forward on the aircraft's control column, plunging the aircraft into a fall at a descent rate of 4,400 feet per minute.

The Dutch roll incident in May remains under investigation and could have had serious consequences for those onboard.

It was later discovered that the aircraft's vertical stabilizer had sustained damage, possibly due to being left out during a severe storm before the flight.

Southwest said it appreciated the opportunity to cooperate with the FAA "as part of our mutual dedication to safety."

In light of the review, the carrier said it had formed a special team comprised of its staff and union and FAA members to enhance its safety practices - additionally, in September, it announced it was ordering all of its pilots to undergo extra training and discussions at its Dallas headquarters.

United Airlines also faced a safety review this year, although the scope of that "enhanced oversight" was more significant than what Southwest faced.

Due to multiple incidents earlier this year, authorities restricted United's capacity to add new aircraft and routes to its network while it conducted its review.

In October, the FAA concluded its oversight, also stating that it had found no serious safety issues.

Earlier this month, the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed a declaration of intent at the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 80th Anniversary of the Chicago Convention celebrations to enhance aviation safety.

A spate of near misses in the past couple of years has led to significant concerns within the industry about dwindling safety standards - for example, in July 2023 alone there were over 40 near-miss incidents.

While the US prides itself on maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, industry leaders have stressed there is a lot of work to "keep it that way."

This is particularly pertinent as the industry's rapid growth continues, which will inevitably lead to more congested airspace and busier airports.

As it stands, flying is only getting safer and safer, aided by enhanced technology and constantly improving regulations and standards.