Southwest Airlines bookings drop after fatal engine blowout

Southwest Airlines Monday said it now expects its Q2 unit revenue to decrease by about 3% from the year prior, primarily driven by lower bookings in the wake of a fatal engine blowout in April. The carrier said ticket purchases have fallen in the weeks since an in-flight engine blowout April 17 that shattered a window and killed a passenger, in the first passenger fatality on a US commercial airline since 2009. Southwest reduced its marketing campaigns after the incident, causing the drop in bookings, the airline said. In response to sharply higher fuel prices and current revenue trends, Southwest also cut its full-year capacity growth projection to the low 4% range, compared with its previous plans to grow in the low 5% range year over year. <br/>