Southwest Airlines CEO 'Disappointed' Government Shutdown is Delaying Hawaii Flights

Jan. 24, 2019
Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said the company is "disappointed" the government shutdown has persisted, as the Dallas carrier can't get its long-awaited Hawaii service off the ground until specific government employees return to work.

Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said the company is "disappointed" the government shutdown has persisted, as the Dallas carrier can't get its long-awaited Hawaii service off the ground until specific government employees return to work to complete the validation process.

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) has received the necessary Federal Aviation Administration approvals, but there are still two validation steps remaining that were scheduled for January. Those have since been delayed, Kelly told reporters Tuesday afternoon at a memorial service for the airline's co-founder Herb Kelleher, who died earlier this year.

Those FAA employees are considered non-essential employees, Kelly said, so they have been furloughed. That leaves Southwest waiting for the government to resume full operations before it can take the next steps in launching Hawaii flights.

Read more: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/01/22/southwest-hawaii-flights-government-shutdown.html