Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated Sunday that the blame leveled on the Federal Aviation Administration by airline firms over flight cancellations across the busy July Fourth vacation is misplaced. 

He stated cancellation charges have been under 2% and pushed again in opposition to airline executives who've stated the FAA is dropping the ball due to an absence of air visitors controllers. 

“Let me be very clear, that even according to the industry’s own data, air traffic control staffing issues account for less than 10% of the delay minutes in the system, but, I would rather that number be zero,” Mr. Buttigieg stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “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. We’re hiring 1,500 new air traffic controllers this year. Our plan is to hire another 1,800 traffic controllers next year.”

The Department of Transportation’s inspector common just lately stated the FAA has no actual proposal to repair an absence of air visitors controllers in busy flight areas like Miami and New York. 

Mr. Buttigieg stated the difficulty is complicated and that Congress might assist by passing the FAA’s reauthorization invoice.

“We’re also working on staffing models that can better address the needs on the ground, and cooperating where possible and where appropriate with airlines on things that can make better use of the same national airspace,” he stated. “Remember, we have the most complex national airspace in the world. But there are things we can do to manage it more efficiently.”

“Whether we’re talking about day-to-day ops and tactics, or whether we’re talking about the bigger picture of staffing air traffic control for the future, we’re moving very aggressively on that,” Mr. Buttigieg stated. “And now’s the time for these conversations, because the FAA reauthorization bill, which will cover the next five years, is moving through the Senate as we speak.” 

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