Passengers On Southwest Flight Issued $5,000 Check And $1,000 Travel Voucher


Some passengers that were on Tuesday’s Southwest Flight 1380 received a $5,000 check from the airline, among other items. Southwest Flight 1380 departed LaGuardia International Airport from New York City on Tuesday morning, and was Dallas-bound. But they were only in the air for 20 minutes before the flight experienced engine failure.

After a window imploded because of shrapnel caused by the engine fan’s disintegration, the cabin became depressurized; 43-year-old Jennifer Riordan, a Wells Fargo VP, was partially sucked through a window during the horrific incident. Riordan died from head injuries, and seven others were treated for injuries. Pilot Tammie Jo Shults, a veteran Navy pilot, successfully landed the one-engine plane gently at Philadelphia International Airport.

As ABC News reported, some passengers on Southwest Flight 1380 received a letter from CEO Gary Kelly, a check for $5,000, and a $1,000 voucher that was going to be sent in a separate email.

  • The email begins with sincere apologies on behalf of the “Southwest Airlines Family.”
  • The letter states that the airline’s primary focus is to assist the passengers in “every way possible.”
  • A customer service number is provided in the email with instructions for callers to identify themselves as passengers on Southwest Flight 1380.
  • The letter concludes with Gary Kelly asking for the passengers to accept “our heartfelt apologies.”

As Business Insider reported, Southwest confirmed that they did send the letters to passengers on the flight, but did not expound on the contents. On Tuesday, Gary Kelly released a video message reacting to the death of Jennifer Riordan (who wasn’t identified at the time in the video). As seen in the video below, Kelly expresses his deepest sympathies for the loved ones and family of “our deceased customer.”

While Gary Kelly and other Southwest Executives are doing their best to try to assist the survivors of the disturbing event, as NBC reported, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines on Friday to inspect the fan blades of similar engines to those used on Flight 1380.

The emergency order was issued after a service bulletin was distributed on the same day by CFM International, the engine’s manufacturer.

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