Fishburn Hedges

05.04.2011

Southwest Airlines’ decision to ground its fleet of Boeing 737-300s raises some interesting parallels with Rolls Royce’s recent troubles.  And with further cracks found in the fuselages of three other planes, the airline’s initial caution looks well placed.

Southwest is clearly in damage limitation mode as it faces questions from some aviation experts who have been quick to point to the airline’s alleged history of maintenance issues.

It will be fascinating to see how they and Boeing manage this situation.  Some early reports suggested Boeing was slow to respond to media interest, but both will be keen to show that they are addressing the issue and putting safety first – without pointing the finger of blame at others.

And even if they don’t have all the answers yet – both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are still trying to determine what caused the fuselage to rupture - being open and available will send out an important signal.

Rolls Royce in contrast was painfully slow to respond and, as Qantas quickly filled the media vacuum, the spotlight soon shifted onto the engine manufacturer. 

Both Southwest and Boeing have different audiences to manage – primarily US consumers in Southwest Airlines’ case and domestic and international airlines in Boeing’s – but ensuring the safety of aviation is of course paramount for both.

Just how closely the two will work together to achieve this common goal will be very interesting indeed.

Posted by Anna Haslam