Airline pledges to improve safety
12 March 2008A US airline has vowed to improve its safety standards after being accused of using planes that had not undergone security checks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently found that Southwest Airlines had missed safety inspections for dozens of planes but kept flying them, a rule violation that could have led to many people requiring their travel insurance after cancellations or mishaps.
A $10.2 million (£5.05 million) penalty was proposed by the FAA, the largest ever against an airline, the Associated Press reports.
Southwest said that it had placed three employees on leave following the problems and hired an outside expert to review its operating procedures.
Meanwhile, accusations were levelled at the FAA that its inspectors are being too soft on the airlines they regulate.
Two whistleblowers from the organisation, Charalambe Boutris and Douglas Peters, reportedly said that regulations and strict practice had become secondary to "personal friendships and favours" to airlines.