Skift Take
Southwest has built a reputation as a safe, reliable, and customer-friendly airline over nearly five decades. That has helped Southwest recently, as it has faced one of the biggest tragedies in its history.
During nearly five decades, Southwest Airlines has built a reputation as a lovable airline passengers can trust.
That goodwill has been tested over the past two weeks, as Southwest recovers from its first passenger fatality since it started flying in 1971. On April 17, a Southwest Boeing 737-700 suffered an engine failure, with debris from the engine hitting the fuselage. The airplane lost pressurization, and one passenger, who later died, was pulled partially through a broken window.
No matter the story, most media outlets prefer to follow the pack. And when tragedy occurs, reporters can go one of two ways. They can spend most of their time trying to find out who was at fault, "investigating" an airline for its maintenence practices or the Federal Administration for its oversight. Or they can go the other way, producing stories commending an airline's crews for professionalism.
Yes, journalists tried both approaches here, with some reporters wanting to know why Southwest jets suffered two similar engine failures in two years. But mostly, the "hero" narrative has taken hold. That's appropriate since it will take years before safety regulators release a report on what happened.
The narrative didn't go this way by chance. Southwest made it happen because it spent decades branding itself as a safe, reliable airline that passengers l
