FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Neal Hanks
March 7, 2008 214-722-4209
Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association Confirms the Company’s Dedication to a Safe Operation
(DALLAS) Recently Southwest Airlines has been criticized in the press and on Capitol Hill for a lack of safety culture and allegedly endangering the traveling public. As the Collective Bargaining Agent for 5600 pilots in the service of Southwest Airlines we would like to respond by saying “nothing could be further from the truth.” We also would like to emphasize the outstanding safety record of both our Company and our pilots.
“We are in full support of the Company’s dedication to the safe operation of this airline,” SWAPA President, Capt. Carl Kuwitzky said. “Southwest Airlines pilots and the Company for more than 36 years have worked to assure an exceptionally safe operation. This stems from the overwhelming pride of every employee involved in providing a safe flight, especially our pilots. We stand behind the safety initiatives at Southwest Airlines today and in the future as our pilots continue to provide the very best and safest service to Southwest customers.”
The cornerstone of the operational safety culture at Southwest Airlines is in the voluntary safety partnership programs between the Company, its various labor groups and the FAA. In conducting FAA required inspections of our aircraft, Southwest Airlines has acted responsibly and the safety of our aircraft was at no time compromised.
Southwest Airlines has an excellent maintenance program that our pilots actively support, with more Boeing 737 aircraft experience than any other pilot group in the world. Our pilot group’s 737 experience and expertise has helped improve the overall safety of our fleet as well as operators throughout the world.
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Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 5,600 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through contract negotiations, defending contractual rights, and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association, visit www.swapa.org.
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