Southwest Airlines to testify at US Senate hearing after meltdown

Southwest COO Andrew Watterson will testify on Feb. 9 before the US Senate Commerce Committee after a holiday meltdown forced the budget carrier to cancel thousands of flights. The hearing titled "Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections" will also include Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Captain Casey Murray, Sharon Pinkerton, a senior official with Airlines for America, an industry group, and Paul Hudson, who heads Flyers' Rights, a passenger advocacy organization. The committee had asked CE Bob Jordan to testify, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters, but Southwest told Reuters "unfortunately, the date that was selected for the hearing next week overlapped a previous commitment for Bob." Southwest said Jordan is slated to speak on Wednesday at an employee rally in Baltimore. The hearing will review causes and impacts of recent air travel disruptions including the Southwest December holiday operational woes that resulted in more than 16,000 flight cancellations.<br/>