Southwest adds cockpit alerts to boost safety

Southwest Airlines has added Honeywell’s cockpit alert system to nearly all of its 800 planes to reduce risks of runway incidents, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The system alerts pilots through verbal warnings and text alarms if they’re on the wrong surface—such as a taxiway—or are descending too fast, or are too high.

Southwest aims to prevent mistakes like the one on March 20, when a pilot mistakenly attempted to take off from a taxiway at Orlando International Airport.

The alerts work like car warnings for blind spots or reversing hazards. They prompt immediate action, such as redoing landings.

Southwest introduced the alerts in early 2024 as part of broader safety upgrades.

The FAA is reviewing whether to require such systems in all new planes. Other airlines, including Alaska, have also adopted the technology. Pilots say it enhances awareness, especially in busy airports.