The southwest airlines today fired three of its employees as a result of alleged negligence on part of the airlines wherein they flew flights which were to be grounded due to certain structural flaws.

The company has also been slapped with a fine of $10.2 million by the FAA for failing to complete the required aircraft inspections over a period of several months in 2006 and 2007. However the FAA too seems to be in the dock now for allowing the flights to take off knowing very well that this could jeopardize public safety.

The officials of the Southwest Airlines have refused to name its three employees or disclose their areas of working. However they have been put on administrative leave by the organization. It has also given full assurance that the airlines would revise its standard checking procedures related to flight safety and if need be take outside help in the matter too in order to ensure compliance with the federal safety parameters.

“These are important and necessary steps," Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said in a statement.

The airlines however say that the planes were checked by the FAA and Boeing and the flights were sent only after clearance from them. This has put the FAA in a tight spot too with many asking the Federal Aviation Administration to enter a self check along with the Southwest Airlines.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters "vowed to ‘get to the bottom of’ allegations that (FAA) inspectors ignored safety violations and sought to interfere with a federal investigation with respect to problems at Southwest," adding that "if any inspector failed in his or her responsibility to the traveling public, they will be dealt with swiftly and severely."

Southwest airlines at the same time have accepted that certain minor cracks were seen in the fuel tanks of the planes and were fixed under the routine checks.

It was found later that six of its planes had cracks on the fuselage tanks. FAA said it will seek the fine from Southwest for flying 46 jets during nine months in 2006 and 2007 without performing required inspections for cracks in the fuselage. Cracks eventually were found on six of the planes.

The FAA thus has levied a fine of $10.2 m increasing it from the earlier decided $3m, making it the maximum fine ever slapped on any airline company. Ironically, Southwest was the only airlines company to have featured in the Fortune’s Most Admired Companies List of the year.

The company has shown profits year after year for the last 35 years. The fine thus has come as a big blow to the company which has introspected and reacted by suspending three of its employees to begin with.

The airlines has also slashed down its lowest regular base fare to $29 each way (plus taxes and fees) on ten routes this despite the hike in fuel prices and companies trying to increase the fares to balance off costs due to this increase. Many other routes too have seen a cut in prices leaving many to assume this as a move to win back customers and their trust in the airlines.