(Dallas, TX) – Southwest Airlines says it’s ahead of the curve in complying with new and stricter federal guidelines for plane engine inspections.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday mandated that the fan blades on certain turbine engines have to be inspected nearly twice as often as previously required.  The order follows an accident in April in which a Southwest passenger was killed when a fan blade in an engine disintegrated in mid-flight.  The Dallas-based airline says it had already put these new inspection requirements into effect.