AisleSeat
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For the last year, the Federal Aviation Administration has been conducting an investigation into Southwest Airlines’ practices for tracking the weight of baggage loaded onto its jets, according to documents seen by the Wall Street Journal. The regulator has reportedly considered these weight inaccuracies to be a “high-risk concern.”
According to the Journal, Southwest Airlines differs from many of its U.S. competitors in its practice of relying on its ground crew to hand count bags rather than using a computer scanner.
Airlines calculate the total weight of luggage in the cargo hold by multiplying the number of bags by the average weight of a single bag. Based on internal documents between the FAA and Southwest, the Journal found that hand counts have resulted in wildly inaccurate weight estimates.
Southwest Airlines Reportedly Under Investigation For Miscalculating Baggage Weight
According to the Journal, Southwest Airlines differs from many of its U.S. competitors in its practice of relying on its ground crew to hand count bags rather than using a computer scanner.
Airlines calculate the total weight of luggage in the cargo hold by multiplying the number of bags by the average weight of a single bag. Based on internal documents between the FAA and Southwest, the Journal found that hand counts have resulted in wildly inaccurate weight estimates.
Southwest Airlines Reportedly Under Investigation For Miscalculating Baggage Weight
