Pete Buttigieg Gave Airline CEOs A Tongue Lashing. One Airline Took Its Revenge

Mayor Pete – widely talked about as the Democrats’ “Plan B” if Joe Biden doesn’t seek re-election in 2024 due to age – gave airline CEOs a public ‘talking to’ over their reliability. Complaining about airlines always polls well.

Buttigieg said he is pushing the airlines to stress-test their summer schedules to ensure they can operate all their planned flights with the employees they have, and to add customer-service workers. That could put pressure on airlines to make additional cuts in their summer schedules.

…During Thursday’s virtual meeting, airline executives described steps they are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled. “Now we’re going to see how those steps measure up,” Buttigieg said.

He impersonated Hans Blix to send a stern message to the U.S. carriers.

One of these airlines canceled his flight and he had to drive from Washington to New York.

He might have been trying to drive distance between himself and Biden by flying between New York and DC. Buttigieg is partly responsible for the problem because he isn't actually doing anything to fix it.

• Buttigieg knew or should have known airlines had already shed staff even as he championed the third round of pandemic airline subsidies on the basis of being ready to fly when passengers were ready to return. Either he was dishonest (he had to help sell administration policy) or he got rolled (he didn’t know what he was talking about). Either way reflects poorly on him.
• He could push to repeal the 1500 hour rule to increase the supply of pilots. The rule makes pilots scarce, is a subsidy to pilots unions, but doesn’t enhance safety – which is why Europe didn’t follow.
• DC – New York flights often face delays due to congested air space but Buttigieg doesn’t support spinning off air traffic control into a separate organization like in Canada and much of Europe. That allows for better capital investment and innovation as well as safety (a best practice is separating out the regulator from the people being regulated, the FAA could focus on safety regulation rather than mere self-regulation).
• Of course Buttigieg even pledged fealty to the Jones Act which drives up energy and other prices, and keeps people poorer in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, so this shouldn’t surprise.

Scott Kirby's messaging is managed by a former obama spokesman. United supported the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for businesses and the environment. It is certain that Buttigieg wasn't flying United when his flight was canceled, not because he would have gotten special treatment, but because United's flight to New York would have. There is a new state called New Jersey.

He could have done things that would improve operational reliability. Even if it means feeling the consequences of cancelling himself, he would rather jawbone.

The person said, "@crucker."

You're still required to wear a mask in airports and on planes even if you're notvaccinated because the CDC says science supports not wearing a mask indoors. Pete Buttigieg argued that masks should remain on planes.

In airlines.

To be built in the U.S., cargo ships must be owned by U.S. companies. It's not possible for a ship from Asia to stop in Hawaii and drop off food and other goods.

In destinations.

The Biden administration is trying to get a national no fly list for violent passengers. David Dao was accused of being violent when he was removed from the plane. An officer had bloodied his hand.

There is a commentary in this.