Airline News: Southwest Settles Lawsuit Over Safety Issues

Southwest Airlines will pay investors' lawyers $3.5 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit that grew out of safety violations, the Associated Press is reporting.

The lawsuit was filed in August 2008. According to reports, the Federal Aviation Administration fined Southwest $10.2 million for operating planes that had not passed a required inspection for structural soundness. Southwest settled by agreeing to pay a $7.5 million penalty.

In addition to paying $3.5 million, the low-cost carrier agreed to add "safety-related employees" throughout the company and "increase training for maintenance workers for at least two years," according to the AP.

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