By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) - A federal watchdog is faulting safety regulators for letting Southwest Airlines continue to carry passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance histories. A report released Tuesday says Southwest has operated more than 150,000 flights with the planes, putting 17.2 million passengers at risk. Southwest is still flying the planes, which it bought on the used market without having confirmed maintenance records. The Transportation Department's inspector general says the Federal Aviation Administration accepted Southwest's view that the concerns were a low safety risk.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.