March 1, 2012



### VIA ELECTRONIC

### FI~ING U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Re: Docket No. OST-96-1960; SOUTHWESTAIRLINES CO. Laurie Barnett Director Corporate Outreach and Preparedness Love Field P

.O

. Box 36611 0

Submission ofUpdated SouthwestAirlines FamilyAssistance Plan ToWhom It MayConcern: Pursuant to the requirements outlined in 49 USC 

### § 41113, Southwest Airlines Co. ("Southwest") has updated its Family Assistance Plan and Is filing it In the above referenced docket today. This plan supersedes all other Southwest Airlines Family Assistance Plans and AirTran Airways Family Assistance Plans filed in this docket and we askthatthey be disregarded (replaced with thisversion) accordingly. The purpose of this update Is to inform you that effective March 1, 2012, SouthwestAirlines Co. will assumefull responsibility foremergency response efforts for accidents involving an AirTran Airways aircraft. On March 1, 2012, we anticipate obtaining our single operating certificate, which is yet another step toward fully integrating AirTran (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest) into Southwest Airlines. The attached updated SouthwestAirlines FamilyAssistance Plan reflects thatchange.

Sincerely, ·

# x~~ Laurie Barnett Attachment: SouthwestAirlines FamilyAssistance Plan March 2012 Copyto: NationalTransportation Safety Board

- c/o ErikGrosofSouthwestAirlines Co. FamilyAssistance Plan

March 2012 

### PREFACE SOUTHWESTAIRLINES CO. FAMILYASSISTANCE PLAN

The Southwest Airlihes Family Assistance Plan is submitted in accordance with the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 (49 U.S.C. 1136 and 41113), and reflects the Amendments to the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act dated April 5, 2000, to Title IV, section 402 of AIR-21, and the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. This plan is a subset of the Southwest Airlines Co. (Southwest Airlines, or Southwest) Corporate Emergency Response Plan and Station Emergency Program. This plan will be utilized to respond to a Southwest Airlines, or an AirTran Airways accident effective March 1, 2012. Southwest has developed carefully coordinated procedures to provide assistance to, and address the needs of crash survivors and families of passengers involved in such an accident. Southwest is committed to ensuring that both surviving passengers and theirfamily members receive the appropriate level ofinformation and services to meettheir immediate needs; treating survivors and families with compassion and dignity; respecting the cultural and religious backgrounds; and, ensuring that revenue and nonrevenue survivors and families receive the same level ofservice. 

### ASSURANCES Southwest's plan to assist those affected by an aviation disaster is part of a larger organized effort, which includes the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and many other government agencies to provide the highest level of support possible to survivors and family members. Following a significant event which evokes the Family AssistanceAct, SouthwestAirlines commits to the following assurances: 1. Southwest will provide notification to the NTSB communications center and provide requested information. 2. Southwest will work with the media to publicize a reliable, toll-free telephone number, and will provide staff to receive calls from, and provide assistance to the families of the passengers. These calls will be routed to our Southwest Airlines Reservations Center Team for the purpose of gathering contact information. Reservation Center Employees designated to handle these calls have received procedural and situational training to respond to accident related calls. Appropriate scripts/messages have been created to expeditethis process. 3. Southwest Airlines has developed a process to provide timely notification to the family of a passenger as soon as Southwest has verified that the passenger was aboard the aircraft (whether or not the names of all the passengers have been

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### - 1 -SouthwestAirlines Co. FamilyAssistance Plan verified). Notification will be made by SouthwestAirlines Employees who are suitably trained to handlethe sensitive nature ofthis notification. Upon request ofthe family ofapassenger, Southwestwill inform the family of whetherthe passenger's name appeared on apreliminary passenger manifest (referred to as the reservations list) forthe flight involved in the accident, whetherthe name ofthat person has been verified as boarded or not. 4. Southwest Airlines will provide to the NTSB Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(1) and to the organization designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2), immediately upon request, a name list (which is based on the best available information atthe time ofthe request) ofthe passengers aboard the aircraft (whether or notsuch names have been verified); and will periodically updatethe list. Updated lists (known as the manifest list) will be provided in a timely manner with numbered orannotated copies to be distinguished from previous versions. 5. Southwest will provide updated information and secure facilities at airports where families may gather. Family members may receive personal notification that their loved onewas on the planewhile in a securefacility. 6. Southwest will provide logistical support to family members who desire to travel to the accident city. Southwest will establish a suitable facility FAC (FamilyAssistance Center) nearthe accident site to meet family member informational needs. The site should accommodatetheJFSOC function. 7. Southwest will make provisions for a Joint Family Support Operations Center (JFSOC), to include space, communication and logistical support. 8. At an appropriate time, and at the direction of the Deputy Director, FA, NTSB, Southwest will inform families ofthe need to contact their family dentist to request dental records and x-rays of their loved one. Records will be sent to the JFSOC hotel, attention Deputy Director, FA, NTSB. Southwest will coordinate with the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Tearn (DMORT) to ensure families are aware ofthe purpose ofthese records and are receiving appropriate assistance. 9. Southwest will make appropriate provisions for the DMORT and medical examiner, and Southwest will coordinate with these organizations to ensure appropriate handling ofall remains. 10.Southwest will provide the Department of State (DOS) information on foreign passengers. 11.Southwest will coordinate with the American Red Cross (ARC) which includes offering their assistance after providing notification and ongoing communication to meetfamily member needs.

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### -2-SouthwestAirlines Co. FamilyAssistance Plan

12.Southwest will deliver status updates regarding family notification to the media and public in a timely manner. However, Southwest will not release the names of the passengers to the media or public. 13.Southwest will ensure traveling family members receive assistance while in airports and will inform Flight Crew and Airport Personnel of their travel. A Southwest Airlines contact person will be availableto families at all times. 14.Southwest will provide a point of contact to provide assistance to a family at the accident. This responsibility will lie with our trained Southwest Airlines Care Team Members. Once families cease interacting with their Care Team Member, they will be provided asingle point ofcontact at Southwestforall ongoing needs. 15.Care Team Members may also provide assistance to families who electto nottravel to the accident site. 16.Southwestwill establish a badging system to identifyfamily members. 17.Southwest will liaison with the American Red Cross (ARC) at each supporting medical treatmentfacilitytotrackvictim status and provide assistance tofamilies. 18.Southwest Airlines has contracted with an experienced third party for the handling and processing of personal effects (under the consultation of Southwest). If requested by the family of a passenger, Southwest Airlines will return any possession of the passenger, within the control of Southwest, to the family (regardless of its condition) unless the possession is needed for the accident investigation or any criminal investigation. Southwest Airlines will retain any unclaimed possession ofa passenger, within the control ofSouthwest, for at least 18 monthsfrom the date ofthe accident. 19.ASouthwest JFSOC representative, with appropriate authority, will be designated to support family assistance efforts in conjunction with the Deputy Director of FA, NTSB. This includes participating in dailycoordination meetings. 20. Southwest will consult with the family ofeach passenger about construction ofany monumenttothe passengers, including any inscription on the monument. 21.Southwestwill provide reasonable reimbursementtothe ARC for services rendered. 22.Southwest will coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ), or FBI OVA, for communicating family rights under the victims of crime legislation, if the crash is declared acrime. 23.Thetreatment offamilies ofnonrevenue passengers (and any othervictim ofthe accident)will be the same as the treatment ofthefamilies ofrevenue passengers.

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### -3-SouthwestAirlines Co. FamilyAssistance Plan

24.Southwest designated Leader(s) will participate in daily coordination meetings and provide updated information as required. 25.SouthwestAirlines will work with anyorganization designated under49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2) (including but not limited to DOJ, DOS, and NTSB) on an ongoing basis to ensure thatfamilies ofpassengers receive an appropriate level of service and assistancefollowing an accident. 26.Southwest Airlines will commit sufficient resources to carry out our Family Assistance Plan. 27.Southwest Airlines will provide adequate training to the employees and agents of Southwestto meetthe needs ofsurvivors and family membersfollowing an accident. 28.1n the event that Southwest Airlines volunteers assistance to United States citizens within the United States with respect to an aircraftaccidentoutsidethe United States involving major loss of life, Southwest will consult with the National Transportation Safety Board and the DepartmentofState on the provision ofthe assistance. 29.1n the event that Southwest Airlines is involved in an accident that results in significant damage to a manmade structure or other property on the ground that is not government-owned, Southwest will promptly provide notice, in writing (to the extent practicable), directly to the owner of the structure or other property about liabilityfor any property damage and means for obtaining compensation. The written notice shall advise an owner to: (a) contact the insurer of the property as the authoritative sourcefor information aboutcoverage and compensation; (b) to not rely on unofficial information offered by air carrier representatives about compensation bythe aircarrierforaccident site propertydamage; and (c) to obtain photographic or other detailed evidence of property damage as soon as possible after the accident, consistentwith restrictions on access to the accidentsite. 30.1n the event that an accident involving Southwest Airlines requires an NTSB public hearing or comparable proceeding at a location greater that 80 miles from the accident site, Southwest will ensure that proceedings will be available simultaneously byelectronic means at a location open to the public at both the origin city and destination city of the Southwest flight, ifthat city is located in the United States.

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