Case Study: Southwest Airlines achieves 24/7 hazardous materials compliance and faster frontline support with Verisk 3E

Southwest Airlines’ Compliance Management Soars with Verisk 3E

Southwest Airlines operates a large domestic network with 436 planes and millions of passengers and pounds of cargo each year, and many checked bags or shipments can inadvertently contain hazardous materials. Frontline employees and seven corporate Safety Specialists needed a reliable, 24‑hour way to determine whether items were regulated for air transport to keep flights safe and on schedule. To meet this challenge, Southwest Airlines engaged Verisk 3E and subscribed to 3E Protect, 3E Emergency Response Services, and Transport Services.

Verisk 3E provided a 24/7 hotline and a superior regulatory database so frontline staff could get quick, authoritative guidance; Southwest employees called Verisk 3E just over 1,000 times in 2004 and the vast majority of inquiries are resolved within three minutes. The service reduced pager calls to Safety Specialists, enabled rapid spill response when needed, improved compliance and customer satisfaction, and proved more cost‑effective than hiring additional staff — delivering faster answers and lower costs for Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines

John Andrus

Senior Manager of Safety and Environmental Services