Southwest grounds 41 jets; no TIA flights affected

DALLAS -- Southwest Airlines says it grounded 41 planes Tuesday in the wake of its recent admission that it had missed required inspections of some planes for structural cracks.

Spokeswoman Christi Day says the move resulted in some flights being canceled Wednesday, but she didn't have a precise figure. No flights at Tampa International Airport were affected, airport officials said.

The move comes as Southwest faces a $10.2 million civil penalty for continuing to fly nearly 50 planes after the airline admitted that it had missed required inspections of the planes.

Southwest also put three employees on leave after being notified of the penalty by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Associated Press