500 375 - Like the other airlines,Southwest plans on ...
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Introduction
Southwest Airlines Co. (
NYSE:
LUV) is an American airline based in
Dallas,
Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the
United States. It operates more than 3,100 flights a day, as of January 2011, utilizing a fleet of 547 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Southwest is known throughout the aviation industry as a "low-cost carrier" because of its unique business model. The model includes flying one aircraft type, the
Boeing 737, on high-density routes throughout the
United States. Southwest's "low-cost" business model is further defined by the airline not offering many services, which are a standard offering on most traditional American carriers, such as a First Class cabin, airport lounges, reserved seat assignments, and video/audio programming. By not offering these services, Southwest claims that it can offer lower fares and produce a higher return on invested capital than other airline companies.
The Business Scandal
SAFETY VIOLATION
On March 6, 2008, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors submitted documents to the United States Congress, alleging that Southwest allowed 117 of its aircraft to fly carrying passengers despite the fact that the planes were "not airworthy" according to air safety investigators. Records indicate that thousands of passengers were flown on aircraft deemed unsafe by federal standards.
Consequently, On March 12, 2008, Southwest Airlines voluntarily grounded 44 planes to check if they needed further inspection. The FAA claimed that Southwest Airlines flew almost 60,000 flights without fuselage inspection. Moreover, Southwest Airlines faced a $10.2 million fine if they violated FAA regulations. There have also been rumors that the FAA knew about Southwest Airlines violations but decided not to fine the airline because it would disrupt the service of Southwest.
On March 2, 2009, Southwest settled these claims, agreeing to pay the FAA fines of $7.5 million for these safety and maintenance issues. The original fine of $10.2 million - a sum which would have been the largest fine in the agency’s history - was lowered after a year of negotiations. The FAA gave Southwest two years in which to pay the fine.
On August 26, 2009 the FAA investigated Southwest for installing improper parts on about 10% of its jets. The work was performed by an outside maintenance company. The FAA stated that the parts do not present a safety danger, but the airline was given until December 24, 2009 to replace the parts with those approved by the FAA.
Southwest Airlines has not had any passenger deaths on any of its planes in its history, but has had eight incidents/accidents with one hull-loss and two deaths on the ground.
On August 19, 2004, Southwest Airlines Flight 411, taking off from Los Angeles International Airport bound for Albuquerque, New Mexico, was on the same runway that Asiana Airlines Flight 204, a Boeing 747, was using for landing due to an air traffic control error. The Asiana pilot aborted the landing, saving both planes.
On December 8, 2005, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 (pictured above in its end result) skidded off a runway upon landing at Chicago Midway International Airport in heavy snow conditions. A six-year-old boy died in a car struck by the plane after it skidded into a street. Passengers on board the aircraft and on the ground reported several minor injuries. The aircraft involved, N471WN, became N286WN after repairs.
On May 12, 2009, one of the starboard rear tires of Southwest Flight 519 from New Orleans deflated upon landing at Houston Hobby Airport. The metal rim of the wheel made contact with the runway, and the resulting sparks ignited the tire. It took about eight minutes to extinguish the fire.
The Ethical Issues
Ethical responsibilities, obligations, and agency
Commercial pilots currently undergo rigorous medical testing and certification procedures to received authorization to fly commercial jetliners. Medical standards have been in place since the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1958 that provide for the safe operation of commercial aircraft by ensuring that all commercial pilots are in optimal health so as not to endanger the lives of passengers and crew. Safety in the airline industry is a key concern and it is clear that numerous regulations currently exist in order to ensure that commercial airlines provide a safe operational environment for their employees and customers.
Safety and the maintenance of a perception of safety is one of the most critical responsibilities of an airline company and its day to day operations.
Another obligation that airlines must weight heavily in all decision making is the well-being of their employees. Airline employees are just as vulnerable to safety concerns as the passengers, if not more so.
The general strenuousness of airline operations, from ground logistics, air traffic control, to the operation of the airplane by pilots and crew members means that safety risks abound. Beyond the simple material safety concerns, human factors, including pilot error, account for a large proportion of airline accidents, many of which lead to fatalities and serious physical injury to passengers.
Thus, an airline company incurs an obligation to minimize the risk posed to its employees by enacting policies that limit the likelihood of an error due to controllable factors that affect performance.
Additionally, an airline faces obligations to protect any sensitive information it collects from its employees. Like any major employer, the airline industry has an obligation to safeguard employee medical history records. The right to privacy is one that is generally accepted by most Western-based corporations and should always be made a corporate priority in order to sustain tenable relations with employees.
The Conclusion
The southwest airlines violated the safety regulations to its passengers, crews and flight attendants. As a result the customers will not fly on an airline they do not believe to be safe. Safety, therefore, has a direct impact on an airline company. Life is too short; passenger’s life should therefore not be shortened by just an unsecured and substandard service.
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