Southwest Airlines was forced to ground 34 jets at Thanksgiving
Southwest Airlines was forced to ground 34 jets just as the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period kicked in.
According to the Chicago Business Journal, the airline had failed to complete the necessary safety paperwork following previous repairs.
Due to the violation of FAA safety rules, Southwest conducted immediate, detailed visual inspections of the planes before returning to service.
All were Boeing 737-700s.
Southwest said the paperwork snafu had a ‘minimal’ effect on its operations.
It operated 4,100 flights on Thanksgiving Eve even with the groundings.
The DOT inspector general is still investigating the FAA’s relationship with Southwest and its oversight of the airline’s safety and maintenance performance.
That followed Southwest’s first ever fatal accident when a passenger died mid-flight when she was partially sucked out of the aircraft when an engine fan blade snapped.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season