Originally Posted by
WHACKMASTER
The fact that Flt Ops had to put out a "pep talk" to all pilots in the previous Distance Learning says a lot. They're very concerned about a hull loss because of the persistent F ups, many of which don't make it to public knowledge but are damned close calls nevertheless.
I speak from my multiple 121 carrier perspective....some of the stuff I witness on the line blows my mind and makes me wonder how the airline's been so lucky thus far.
I speak from a multiple carrier perspective as well albeit with less of a chip on my shoulder and definitely with less axes to grind. I've seen some great safety practices as well as some that could use improvement at SWA.
As I have said in the past I think a serious look at best practices would have been great when combining operations. SWA had an opportunity to fully embrace those areas that were superior in the AirTran operation but paid it lip service at best.
AirTran ran a very safe airline (post VJ) and SWA would have done themselves a great service if they would have taken a serious approach to only carrying forward the best operational practices.
In the end, you simply can not discount the data available to analyze. Southwest runs an extremely safe operation when compared to others. According to Travel and Leisure's 2013 rankings, SWA was the number three safest airline in the
WORLD and first among all U.S. airlines.
World's Safest Airlines
No. 3 Southwest (tie)
32 points
Long a passenger favorite, Southwest has proven that a low-cost, no-frills airline can also excel when it comes to safety. One of the few large U.S. airlines that doesn’t charge for the first or second checked bag, the Texas-based carrier has a reputation for jolly cabin crew as well as innovative seating and boarding.
World's Safest Airlines - Articles | Travel + Leisure