United Airlines CEO says a lack of support from the government to the aviation industry is partly to blame for travel chaos, report says

This summer's travel disruption is partly due to a lack of support from the government, according to the CEO of United Airlines.

Scott Kirby told CNN that air traffic control hadn't caught up to demand as quickly as airlines.

The support infrastructure around aviation that hasn't caught up as quickly is the bigger challenge, according to Kirby.

He said that when the FAA says you can't land at the airport, you're going to have delays and canceled flights.

Representatives for United Airlines did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Pete Buttigieg, the US secretary of transportation, said that air traffic control issues have not accounted for many of the canceled flights.

The summer's travel chaos is unacceptable, according to Buttigieg. In the letter, he said airlines should give delayed passengers vouchers.

Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours was not responded to by representatives for the Department of Transportation.

A sharp increase in travel demand has left airlines scrambling to accommodate a record amount of passengers. Airlines have been struggling to keep staffing levels in line with demand, and shortages of pilots and flight crew have contributed to the wave of flight delays and cancellation.

Over 16,000 flights have been canceled this summer in the US.