170 planes grounded after dramatic mid-air blowout on new aircraft stuns aviation experts

Southwest Drops Service to 4 Airports Amid Boeing Problems

Southwest Drops Service to 4 Airports , Amid Boeing Problems. On April 24, Boeing announced that it will keep production levels lower so that it can focus on the quality and safety of its planes. The announcement comes after the company has experienced backlash over safety issues, . such as the incident on Jan. 5 in which a door plug flew off of an Alaska Airlines plane. . On April 25, Southwest Airlines said that Boeing delivery delays have caused the company to stop serving four airports, CNN reports. . The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, via statement. We are reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impacts. , Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, via statement. Consequently, we have made the difficult decision to close our operations [at the four airports], Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, via statement. The four airports that will be affected are Bellingham International Airport, Cozumel International Airport. Syracuse Hancock International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Southwest also revealed that it lost $218 million in Q1 2024. However, revenue was at $6.3 billion, an 11% increase from last year. The revenue increase came from an uptick in passenger traffic, CNN reports. Southwest shares dipped 7% in premarket trading on April 25

Boeing's safety culture under fire at US Senate hearings

Southwest Flight From Denver Loses Engine Cover

Southwest Flight From Denver , Loses Engine Cover. On April 7, a Boeing 737-800 plane in use by Southwest Airlines lost an engine cover which hit the wing flap, the Federal Aviation Administration said. . According to air traffic control audio, a pilot said that "several passengers and flight attendants heard something loud hit the wing.". After determining the issue, the plane safely returned to Denver, and Southwest issued an apology. . We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay but place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees, Southwest Airlines, via statement. There were no reports of injuries. . According to FAA records, the plane was last certified to be airworthy in May of 2015. The agency will investigate the incident. . Boeing refused to comment and instead pointed to Southwest for details "about plane and fleet operations," CNN reports. . The incident is just the latest in a series of mechanical issues Boeing has experienced over the last several months.