Airlines

US judge orders Southwest to reinstate flight attendant who sued the airline

The lady had said that the company and her union had planned to terminate her for expressing her opposition to abortion.

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A federal judge reduced a flight attendant’s $5.1 million jury award to approximately $800,000, but she was still required to be rehired by Southwest Airlines. The lady had said that the company and her union had planned to terminate her for expressing her opposition to abortion.

Charlene Carter, a former flight attendant, claimed Southwest and Transport Workers Union Local 556 violated her rights by firing her after she sent the union’s former president confrontational anti-abortion messages. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr ruled that Southwest must reinstate Carter.

Carter claimed she was fired after sending strongly worded texts to the president of the flight attendants’ union, complaining that the official had attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2017. She termed the union leader “despicable.”

The president of Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union did not respond to that and other messages, but Southwest summoned Carter to a meeting and later fired her. In July, a Dallas jury found in Carter’s favour and ordered Southwest to pay Carter $4.15 million while the union was ordered to pay $950,000.

This week, the judge decreased the amount of the award to $300,000 in compensation and punitive damages for Southwest and $300,000 for the union, as well as $150,000 in back wages and nearly $60,000 in interest.

This Monday, the judge used a statement from a Southwest advertisement when he ordered the company to restore Carter. “Bags fly free with Southwest. “However, free expression did not fly with Southwest in this situation,” Starr wrote.

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Airlines

Air India Express Aircraft Engine Part Falls Outside Delhi Airport; DGCA Orders Probe

Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry following reports that metal fragments were discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Air India Express flight made an emergency landing on Monday evening.

The emergency landing was prompted by a detected engine fault, but fortunately, the landing was executed safely without any injuries to the passengers.

The situation began when crew members of the Air India Express flight reported an engine issue, leading to the emergency landing. The DGCA has confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and has directed that the aircraft undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

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The discovery of metal debris outside the airport has raised concerns, prompting the DGCA to probe whether these fragments are linked to the aircraft involved in the emergency landing. Authorities are particularly focused on whether the metal pieces, which were found near the airport, originated from the same Air India Express flight that experienced engine trouble.

While preliminary assessments suggest that the debris could be a broken blade from an aircraft engine, the exact source remains unconfirmed. The airline has yet to verify if the metal fragments are from their aircraft.

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The Delhi Police, working in conjunction with the DGCA, have initiated their own investigation to determine the origin of the metal pieces. A technical team is set to analyze whether the fragments are associated with the aircraft in question. As the investigation continues, a case has been filed with the airport authority to address the matter.