Carrier Wants FAs To Perform Additional Duties While At Gate

Southwest Airlines recently won an appeal with the Federal Aviation Administration, and gained approval for its flight attendants to leave an aircraft during stops.

The low-fare, Dallas-based carrier wants its flight attendants to perform additional duties during stops, such as assisting passengers in wheelchairs to keep ground times short, a key to profits.

The carrier says the move will help avoid cost increases.

An FAA manager decided in April 2006 all flight attendants -- there are usually three on a Southwest flight -- must remain on board an aircraft during stops. SWA said last year its flight attendants left the aircraft anyway, while the decision was in the appeals process, according to Bloomberg News.

Southwest was not without its allies, either. Four major carriers, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and AirTran not only backed SWA, but said they wanted to adopt the practice, as well.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union (representing the carriers' attendants) both backed the appeal while the Association of Flight Attendants and Air Line Pilots Association opposed the appeal and decision reversal.

SWA says that had it lost the appeal, it would have had to raise its fares to offset the higher cost of the resultant increased ground times.

Under the permission, two attendants can leave the plane during passengers' exit, and one can be away during boarding.

FMI: www.southwest.com, www.faa.gov, www.afanet.org, www.alpa.org