Transportation Sec Buttigieg Ignored Warnings From State Attorney’s General on Chaotic Christmas Travel

President Joe Biden’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has ignored state attorneys general’s repeated requests to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable for canceling flights in the months leading up to the ongoing holiday travel fiasco.

The Christmas holiday season was plagued by thousands of flights cancelationsSouthwest Airlines, which was led by Southwest Airlines, failed to regain their footing following a severe winter storm that hit the U.S.

Buttigieg will be under greater scrutiny as he penalizes Southwest Airlines for thousands of cancelled flights. However, Buttigieg has been urged repeatedly to hold these airlines accountable during this holiday season.

Letitia James, New York’s Attorney General (D), sent Buttigieg an email over the summer. letter That was the warning “the deeply troubling and escalating pattern of airlines delaying and canceling flights” During holiday flight seasons. James wrote:

Airlines blame cancellations on staff shortages, especially because of a purported shortage in airline pilots. The pilot shortage, however, is due in large measure to airline actions, such as forcing pilots into early retirement, or shrinking their pilot pool.

A few weeks after James’s letter, a coalition of 38 bipartisan state attorneys general sent a letter Congressional leaders accused the Department of Transportation of creating an environment that was conducive to drug use. “allows airlines to mistreat consumers and leaves consumers without effective redress.”

“If state attorneys general had a substantial and meaningful role in overseeing airline consumer protection, the failure of the US DOT would be ameliorated by the ability of state attorneys general to enforce the law,” The state attorneys general wrote.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D.MA) sent an additional message over the summer. letter John Putnam, General Counsel for the Transportation Department, and Buttigieg urging the agency to “fully utilize its statutory authority to protect consumers and promote competition in the airline industry.”

These are repeated statements.