Transport Minister Buttigieg rebukes airline CEOs over flight disruptions: ‘unacceptable’

Minister of Transport Buttigieg’s house He described the slight increase in flight cancellations and delays nationwide as “unacceptable” and warned airlines that his administration may take action if carriers do not provide more transparency about why the disruptions occurred.

Buttigieg wrote letters to several US airline CEOs this week and described the level of disruption Americans have experienced this summer as “unacceptable”.

Buttigieg has asked airline chief executives, at a minimum, to provide lodging for passengers stranded overnight at an airport and to give meal vouchers for delays of three hours or more when the disruption is caused by something in the airline’s control.

The Transportation Department He says the letters have been sent to the chief executives of 10 US airlines, including major carriers, their regional subsidiaries and budget airlines.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, center, speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File/AP Newsroom)

Buttigieg Agency recently proposed rules about refunds for passengers whose flights Canceled or rescheduled. He told the chief executives that the administration was considering additional rules that “would expand the rights of airline passengers experiencing disruption.”

Buttigieg has been arguing with airlines since late spring about the large number of cancellations and delays, but said in his letter that he appreciates that airlines have ramped up staffing and reduced schedules to better match the number of flights they can handle.

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NEWARK, NJ – JULY 01: Passengers arrive on an air train at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on July 1, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. ((Photo by Gina Moon/Getty Images)/Getty Images)

A spokeswoman for American Airlines, a trade group whose membership includes American, United, Delta and Southwest, said the airlines “strive to provide the highest level of customer service.” She said the airlines are committed to overcoming challenges including a tight job market.

Staff shortages caused a large amount of Flight cancellations and delays All summer, which analysts say could have been worse if airlines had not scaled back their schedules.

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Earlier this summer, Nicholas Calio, president of the Airlines for America business group, said its member airlines have cut 15% of flights they originally planned through August, while also boosting staffing and training to address issues to become more reliable for passengers.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg listens to an event in Philadelphia, on January 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File/AP Newsroom)

Problems persisted with demand rising to pre-pandemic levelsforcing some carriers to reduce their fall schedule.

The Associated Press contributed to this report