DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) said Thursday it has stopped plans to outsource certain aircraft maintenance work to Aeroman, an El Salvador vendor.

In a statement to be read before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee later this morning, the Dallas-based airline said the decision was based on the heightened scrutiny following the discovery last month of fuselage cracks in several of its Boeing 737s, and not because of doubts over Aeroman's professionalism.

Nonetheless, the move is a victory for union groups long distraught that airlines have been moving more of their maintenance operations overseas, saying the policy means fewer American jobs and less Federal Aviation Administration oversight.