The FAA has reminded Southwest Airlines and its unionized mechanics who is really in charge when it comes to flight safety and not so subtly warned them not to let their current disputes get in the way. Southwest sued the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association a week ago implying its members grounded dozens of its planes in late February to pressure the airline in deteriorating contract negotiations. The union has denied the charges and said the mechanics refused to sign off on the aircraft for safety reasons. As we reported at the time, the grounded 737s poked big holes in Southwest's schedule, resulting in more than 100 cancellations. Ali Bahrami, the FAA's Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, wrote them both a letter, obtained by The New York Times, saying the dispute "raises concern about the ongoing effectiveness of the airline's safety management system."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/faa-warns-southwest-mechanics-on-safety