Whistleblower alleges Southwest received special treatment for Hawaii flights, WSJ says

A whistleblower claims Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) improperly received expedited approval from regulators to begin long-anticipated flights to Hawaii last year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said an unnamed Federal Aviation Administration employee alleged Dallas-based Southwest Airlines received preferential treatment from the FAA regarding its Hawaii service.

The agency reportedly hurried along the approval process by cutting corners so Southwest could…