Serious Accusations

FAA proposes $12 million fine against Southwest Airlines for rogue repairs

Southwest Airlines is disputing a proposed federal fine of $12 million.

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking a $12 million fine against Southwest Airlines for what it deems improper repairs on 44 jetliners. It is reportedly the second-largest fine in FAA history.

The federal agency announced its intentions on July 28. Southwest Airlines has 30 days to officially respond to the accusations.

In 2006, Dallas-based Southwest contracted Aviation Technical Services Inc. to work on 44 jetliners in need of repairs. According to the FAA, the contractor did not follow established federal protocol for replacing the fuselage skins to eliminate potential cracking.

For its part, Southwest maintains the issue has already been "fully resolved."

The contractor also allegedly failed to properly stabilize the aircraft while the work was being completed. A third component of the fine is related to irregular wiring on two Boeing 737s.

"Southwest returned the jetliners to service and operated them when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations," the FAA said in a statement.

For its part, Southwest maintains the issue has already been "fully resolved."

"The FAA letter includes repair issues that were addressed several years ago," Southwest said in a statement. "Having fully resolved the repair issues some time ago, none of the items raised in the FAA letter affect aircraft currently being operated by Southwest Airlines.

"Safety is paramount, and we always strive for full compliance with established and approved processes and procedures."

According to the FAA, the improperly repaired airplanes flew more than 20 passenger flights "after Southwest Airlines became aware of the discrepancies but before the airline corrected the problem."

"The FAA views maintenance very seriously, and it will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to follow regulations," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said.

Through a spokesperson, Southwest said it plans to respond to the FAA allegations.

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Escape News

There's no escaping fun at Grandscape in The Colony with new escape room

The Escape Room

Players search for clues.

There's no escaping this hot entertainment trend coming to The Colony: Called The Escape Game, it's the biggest escape room outfit in the U.S., and it's about to become a little bigger with a new location opening in The Colony at Grandscape in January 2023.

The Escape Game was founded in 2014 and currently has 29 locations everywhere from vacation destinations like Orlando and Las Vegas to high-end retail locations like Westfield Century City in Los Angeles and Madison Ave in New York.

The company creates highly-produced sets and multi-room experiences, and participants engage in hour-long missions, where they're given clues to uncover and puzzles to solve -- designed by a team at The Escape Game’s headquarters in Nashville.

In Texas, they have locations in Austin, Houston, and Grapevine, which opened in 2017, arriving in the thick of the escape room trend in Dallas which has seen arrivals (and some departures) such as Escapology, Escape the Room, Dallas Panic Room, and Ultimate Escape Game.

More than $2 million has been invested in the Grandscape location, a 6,760-square-foot facility which will host five escape rooms with the following themes:

Prison Break
Playground
Gold Rush
The Depths
Special Ops: Mysterious Market

Grandscape, the 433-acre center in The Colony anchored by Nebraska Furniture Mart, keeps adding to its collection of entertainment options which include Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, Gamebox, an outdoor amphitheater, and a location of Cosm, an interactive venue set to open in 2024.

“We knew we wanted to be in a place that both locals and visitors loved spending time and we think we found it at Grandscape.," says Jonathan Murrell, co-founder and CMO of The Escape Game.

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