Southwest Endangered, Overcharged Passengers for Risky 737 Max Flights, Says Class Action

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Southwest 737 MAX Class Action Lawsuit Overview: 

• Who: 737 Max passengers launched a class action lawsuit against Southwest Airlines.  
• Why: The plaintiffs allege Southwest Airlines breached its contract with passengers by allowing them to fly on “unsafe” Boeing 737 MAX jets. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal court. 

Southwest Airlines knowingly flew passengers on defective, unsafe, and non-airworthy Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Lead Plaintiffs Christine Monahan, Renee Iannotti, and Lillian Taylor say Southwest breached its contract with passengers by allowing them to fly on the unsafe planes, not sufficiently training its pilots to fly the jets, and by violating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. 

Monahan, Iannotti, and Taylor want to represent themselves and a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased a ticket on a Southwest flight between Aug. 29, 2017 and March 13, 2019. 

Boeing’s 737 MAX airplanes were so unreliable that, following two deadly crashes, the FAA took the passenger jets out of the sky in 2019, according to the class action lawsuit.

Plaintiffs say Southwest had released a public statement on March 11, 2019 — two days before the planes were grounded by the FAA — reassuring customers it was confident in the safety of the aircraft. 

“The 737 MAX was so dangerous and unsafe that, after the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019, the FAA, on March 13, 2019, grounded the 737 MAX,” states the Southwest 737 lawsuit. 

The 737 MAX jets were taken out of commission for 20 months following the two accidents that killed 189 and 157 people, respectively, points out the class action. The FAA and other regulators cleared the planes to return to the air in late 2020.

Monahan, Iannotti and Taylor claim Boeing’s 737 MAX airplanes were built with a defective avionics system that would automatically push its nose towards the ground. Southwest’s pilots were both unaware of the defective system and powerless to reverse the action, according to the class action lawsuit. 

Southwest 737 Flights Booked Despite Safety Concerns

Plaintiffs allege Southwest both breached its contract with passengers and overcharged them by selling tickets for air travel that came with promises of safety, proper pilot training, and regulatory compliance, when in fact passengers were “rolling the dice” by flying on the unsafe 737 MAX. 

“Passengers in the United States fully expect and demand safe air travel,” states the Southwest 737 lawsuit. “They pay taxes for a regulatory regime to assure safe travel, pay airfares to airlines that assure safe travel, and punish unsafe airlines and airplanes by not giving them business.” 

Monahan, Iannotti, and Taylor are demanding a jury trial and seeking actual and/or compensatory damages for themselves and all Class Members. 

A group of eight Southwest flight attendants filed a class action lawsuit against Boeing in March 2020 that alleged the company hid safety information regarding the 737 MAX. A federal judge in Illinois later sided with the plane manufacturer and dismissed the claims. 

Do you believe Southwest put its passengers in danger by letting them fly on 737 MAX jets? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Kristen Nelson, Kathryn Lee Boyd, and Andrew J. Lorin of Hecht Partners LLP. 

The Southwest 737 Class Action Lawsuit is Monahan et al v. Southwest Airlines, Case No. 6:21-cv-00887, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Waco Division. 

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