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Employers › TX

Transportation & Warehousing · San Antonio, TX

Southwest Airlines

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Southwest Airlines has a mixed safety record: 9 violations across 5 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 25% by penalty67% serious
$14,270
OSHA penalties
9
Violations cited
5
OSHA inspections
$0
Back wages owed

Southwest Airlines in San Antonio, TX has been the subject of 5 OSHA workplace inspections and 9 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $14,270. The employer also has 1 Wage and Hour Division (WHD) case on record, covering Fair Labor Standards Act enforcement. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Southwest Airlines 5 times across a longer 11-year span, an infrequent cadence. These inspections resulted in 9 violations, averaging 1.8 per inspection. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the top quarter of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 6 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs well above peers (2.7x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. For comparison, Compania Poncena de Transporte - Juan Luna in Coto Laurel, PR is another transportation & warehousing employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

1.8
violations per inspection
66.7%
of violations were serious
75%
of penalized employers rank lower
$0
in back wages recovered

How Southwest Airlines compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Transportation & Warehousing per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Southwest Airlines runs well above peers (2.4x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$14,270 Bottom 25% least affordable more affordable than 25% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). This entry sits in this band. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

What the Data Says About Southwest Airlines

The federal enforcement record for Southwest Airlines in San Antonio, TX includes 5 OSHA inspections and 9 violations, translating to 1.80 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 6 (66.7%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $63,435 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $14,270 - a 77.5% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $2,854. Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of $6,058 per employer, this record runs well above peers (2.4x the sector average). The Wage and Hour Division added 1 case producing $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers.

Inspection activity spans from 2011-07-15 to 2022-06-29, a window of roughly 11 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

5

First Inspection

2011-07-15

Last Inspection

2022-06-29

Inspection Span

11 yrs

Violations / Inspection

1.8

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$2,854

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,294

What this shows 5 inspections over 11 years, averaging 1.8 violations per visit. That's $2,854 per inspection vs. the Transportation & Warehousing average of $3,294.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

6

Serious

66.7% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

3

Other-Than-Serious

33.3% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$63,435

Current Penalty Amount

$14,270

Penalty Reduction

77.5%

Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)

$14,270

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $49,165 from the initial assessment of $63,435. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Wage & Hour Findings

WHD Cases
1
Back Wages Owed
$0
Employees Affected
0
WHD Violations
0

Industry Safety Context: Transportation & Warehousing

How Southwest Airlines compares to the Transportation & Warehousing sector, which has 10,024 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Southwest Airlines Industry Avg
Inspections 5 1.8
Violations 9 3.2
Total Penalty $14,270 $6,058
Avg Penalty per Inspection $2,854 $3,294
View all 10,024 employers in Transportation & Warehousing →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Transportation & Warehousing

Alaska Marine Trucking
Juneau, AK
5 inspections $14,256
New York Shipping AssoC. -ILA FML Committee
Jersey City, NJ
0 inspections $0
Compania Poncena de Transporte - Juan Luna
Coto Laurel, PR
0 inspections $0
Indise
Laredo, TX
0 inspections $0
Lineage Logistics Services, LLC
Arlington, TN
3 inspections $14,300

Compare Southwest Airlines vs Alaska Marine Trucking side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Southwest Airlines safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Southwest Airlines's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 9 violations across 5 inspections, including 6 serious violations. Compared to Transportation & Warehousing industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Southwest Airlines have? ▼
Southwest Airlines has 9 OSHA violations on record, including 6 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $14,270.
How many OSHA inspections has Southwest Airlines had? ▼
Southwest Airlines has had 5 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2011-07-15 and the most recent on 2022-06-29. This averages 1.8 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Southwest Airlines? ▼
Southwest Airlines has been assessed $14,270 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $63,435 (a 77.5% reduction). Additionally, $0 in back wages were owed through WHD enforcement.
Does Southwest Airlines have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Southwest Airlines has 6 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
Has Southwest Airlines been cited for wage theft? ▼
Yes. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recorded 1 enforcement case against Southwest Airlines, resulting in $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. These cases involve violations of federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, and other worker protections.
What industry does Southwest Airlines operate in? ▼
Southwest Airlines operates in the Transportation & Warehousing sector (NAICS code 481111). This industry has 10,024 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 18,434 total OSHA inspections and $60.73M in cumulative penalties.
What should I do if Southwest Airlines owes me wages? ▼
If you believe Southwest Airlines owes you wages, you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints or by calling 1-866-487-9243. WHD investigates violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act including unpaid minimum wage, overtime, and unauthorized deductions. The DOL has previously found $0 in back wages owed by this employer across 1 case.
How does Southwest Airlines's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Southwest Airlines's total OSHA penalty of $14,270 is above the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of $6,058 per employer (2.4x the average). The employer has 5 inspections compared to the industry average of 1.8 per employer. For a direct comparison, Compania Poncena de Transporte - Juan Luna in Coto Laurel, PR is a similar transportation & warehousing employer with $0 in current penalties.

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What to check next

Southwest Airlines's record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 5 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.