Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urged airline CEOs on Thursday to ensure they can fly their schedules reliably this summer after a rise in delays and cancellations this year, according to a person familiar with the call.
The secretary asked airlines what steps they were taking to ensure that disruptions that occurred over Memorial Day weren't repeated during July 4 weekend and the rest of the summer, the person said. Buttigieg also pushed airlines to improve customer service so that passengers can rebook quickly, the person said, describing the call as "productive and collaborative."
Airlines have struggled with routine disruptions such as weather alongside staffing shortfalls and a surge in travel demand. JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines have already scaled back their spring and summer travel schedules to give themselves more room to handle disruptions.
More than 7,100 U.S. flights were delayed and nearly 1,600 were canceled as multiple thunderstorms snarled travel to and from some of the country's busiest airports, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
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