Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) has agreed to pay USD18.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by employees who accused the carrier of failing to provide proper military leave benefits.

The suit was filed by Jayson Huntsman, a Southwest Airlines pilot and a former US Air Force Reserve officer who served as lead plaintiff in the case filed in 2019 at the California Northern District Court (case number 3:19-cv-00083) in San Francisco.

It followed a similar class action suit Huntsman filed in 2017 (case number: 3:17-cv-03972) on behalf of 1,999 Southwest Airlines' pilots, which resulted in a USD18.8 million settlement in 2018, finalised in 2019. The second case expanded the scope to include all Southwest employees, not just pilots.

Huntsman alleged that Southwest Airlines violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by denying certain pay differentials, benefits, and promotions to employees called to military duty. The case was granted class-action status in 2021.

Under the latest settlement, 2,791 current and former non-pilot employees will receive roughly USD4,421 each after legal fees, and Southwest Airlines will provide up to 10 days of paid short-term military leave from 2026 to 2030.

The carrier admitted no wrongdoing but said the agreements aim to resolve disputes and avoid litigation costs.

Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said the carrier had nothing to add beyond what is contained in the court filing.