Politics

Southwest hires its first new lobbyist in years amid multi-prong controversies

While a winter storm simply earlier than final month’s holidays compelled different main airways to cancel or delay flights, Southwest canceled greater than 16,000 journeys because it struggled to recuperate from the storm. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo

Southwest Airlines has introduced on new lobbying firepower for the first time in virtually half a decade, because the airline weathers new scrutiny in Washington over the scheduling meltdown final month.

The provider employed former Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) earlier this month to foyer on the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, in line with disclosures filed over the weekend. The Illinois Democrat, who left Congress in 2013 after 25 years in the House, beforehand served as chair of the aviation subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure panel.

The airline spent $1.1 million on federal lobbying final yr — the identical as in the earlier yr. But Costello’s agency is the first new addition to Southwest’s roster of out of doors lobbyists — which already consists of fellow former lawmakers Kit Bond and Kenny Hulshof — since 2018, when lawmakers have been crafting the final FAA reauthorization.

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