Southwest Air Hit With $3.9 Million Fine for Weight Breaches
- Company accused of making 21,000 illegal flights by FAA
- Proposed penalty can be challenged by carrier within 30 days
A Southwest aircraft stands on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Southwest Airlines Co. was hit with a proposed $3.92 million civil penalty by U.S. aviation regulators for allegedly operating thousands of flights with inaccurate weight estimates of its planes.
The airline flew 44 jets on a total of 21,505 flights with “incorrect” weight estimates, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. Airlines must calculate the weight of each plane before takeoff, which is used to determine takeoff speed and assure safe operation of the aircraft.