Southwest Airlines Baggage Weight Discrepancies Lead to Yearlong FAA Probe

U.S. air safety regulators have been investigating Southwest Airlines for a year for widespread miscalculation of the total weight of checked bags loaded onto flights, according to the Wall Street Journal.The Journal, citing government officials and internal agency documents, said the Federal Aviation Administration's yearlong civil probe found "systemic and significant mistakes with employee calculations and luggage-loading practices, resulting in potential discrepancies when pilots compute takeoff weights."In a statement Tuesday to The Dallas Morning News, the FAA said it launched the investigation in February 2018 into Southwest's weight and balance performance data. "Since that time, the FAA has directed the development of a comprehensive solution to the methods and processes used by Southwest Airlines to determine this performance data," the statement said. "The FAA will not close its investigation until it is satisfied that Southwest's corrective actions are consistent and sustained."Dallas-based Southwest said it made improvements in its methods for calculating weight and the balance of loads during 2018, according to The Associated Press. The airline also said it voluntarily reported the issue to federal safety officials last year, and isn't facing any enforcement action.  Continue reading...