String of Safety Incidents Prompt Additional Southwest Pilot Training

The airline is requiring that all of its nearly 11,000 pilots attend a day-long training course.

Southwest 737 MAX 8 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

[ Pilots ]September 11, 2024 12:07 pm ET

By Ryan Ewing

Following a string of high-profile “safety events” in recent months, Southwest is forcing its pilots to attend additional training. Bloomberg reports that the training sessions will begin as early as November, lasting into 2025.

The requirement extends to all of the airline’s nearly 11,000 pilots with training sessions taking place for one day at its Dallas headquarters. A company memo cited by the news outlet said the training sessions are intended to discuss “specific events and working together as a flight crew to appropriately manage risks.”

In April, a Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8 dropped within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean near Lihue, Hawaii. Later, two separate Southwest flights received low altitude alerts, descending within hundreds of feet over Oklahoma City and Tampa while still several miles from the respective airfields.

Another Southwest flight from Portland, Maine to Baltimore took off from a closed runway in June.

In the same memo, the airline acknowledged the spike in incidents, adding that “meaningful work is underway to address these events and advance our safety.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently conducting a safety audit on the carrier, similar to what United faced earlier this year.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

Follow Ryan

Author

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
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