Southwest Airlines Workers Advance $18.5 Million Paid Leave Deal

Southwest Airlines Co. received initial court approval for an $18.5 million class settlement benefiting employees who accused the airline of wrongly failing to provide paid leave for periods of military service.

The deal is slated to provide 2,791 class members with an average net value of more than $4,400, representing between 26% and 74.2% of the case’s estimated damages. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley granted preliminary approval to the deal and scheduled a May 14, 2026, fairness hearing in an order issued Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

The settlement also reflects the airline’s pledge ...