After thousands of flights were delayed and canceled heading into the Fourth of July holiday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said more is being done to address issues.
heading into the Fourth of July holiday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said more is being done to address issues. in major travel hubs"put enormous pressure on the system" after United Airlines and JetBlue blamed the Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees air traffic in the U.S., for the disruptions. The airlines questioned why there were lengthy delays, saying the FAA has managed weather disruptions in the past.
"I think most passengers understand that no one can control the weather, but anything that's under the control of the airlines and anything that we can do on the FAA side, we need to continue pushing to make sure that there's the smoothest possible experience for air passengers everywhere," Buttigieg told"Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Buttigieg said Sunday the FAA is hiring 1,500 new air traffic controllers this year and another 1,800 in 2024, as well as working on staffing models to better address the issues. But he said staffing issues account for less than 10% of delays, although he added that he would prefer"that number is zero."
"Even though this isn't the number one cause or even the number two cause of flight disruptions, it is something that is very important to tackle and we're doing exactly that," Buttigieg said."But there are things we can do to manage it more efficiently." He said the FAA is using new technology to open more-direct routes"which means less flight time and ultimately can contribute to less congestion." "We've been engaging the space industry to try to keep those launch windows clear of when there is the most traffic," he said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg returns to Washington next weekOn Thursday and Friday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit Mukilteo and Port Orchard to talk about the ferry system. He'll also visit Washougal Friday.
Read more »
Birmingham gets $21.6 million federal grant for Civil Rights District roadworkU.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded more than $21.6 million to pay for street infrastructure in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District. Details on where the funds go:
Read more »
Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg goes on defense on flight cancellationsTransportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that the blame leveled at the Federal Aviation Administration by airline companies over flight cancellations around the busy July Fourth holiday is misplaced.
Read more »
Pete Buttigieg Expertly Dings DeSantis’ Homoerotic Anti-Gay Ad“I'm going to leave aside the strangeness of trying to prove your manhood by putting up a video that splices images of you in between oiled-up shirtless bodybuilders.'
Read more »
CNN: DeSantis LGBTQ Vid Out-Trumps Trump; Pete Buttigieg RespondsOn CNN's StateOfTheUnion, Transportation Secretary PeteButtigieg raised interesting questions about Florida Governor RonDeSantis' LGBTQ-themed attack video against DonaldTrump: OPINION / Trump DeSantis
Read more »
VIA to receive $3 million from transportation grant, will replace vehicles with ‘greener’ busesThe funding will help VIA continue to provide vitally important transportation services with disabilities while maintaining VIA’s commitment to environmentally-conscious mobility in the region.
Read more »