Unable to handle congestion and shortages of air traffic controllers, the Biden administration is asking the nation's airlines to cancel flights during the peak summer travel season – which could spark widespread gridlock.
The Biden administration's Federal Aviation Administration recently asked air carriers to cut air traffic to the New York region by 10% during peak summer travel from May 15 to September 15 due to an air traffic controller staffing shortage.
“As a result, the price of airfare will almost certainly rise and competition will decrease at some of our country's busiest airports,” writes U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Cruz wants Buttigieg to explain why the FAA is unable to deal with congestion and staffing shortages while it instead focuses on “equity” and “social justice” issues in transportation.
The Biden administration's attempt to appoint a new FAA administrator ended with the failed nomination of Phil Washington, who vowed to concentrate on liberal political and social movements and had no aviation experience until going to work for the Denver airport in 2021.
“Earlier this month, Sec. Buttigieg called on air carriers to reduce their flight schedules on the East Coast during the peak summer travel season, potentially reducing consumer choices and increasing prices for travelers,” Cruz's office reports in a statement.
“As reports show, the air traffic control center in New York is staffed at a mere 54%, far below the 81% national average. Due to the shortages of air traffic controllers, the FAA has asked major airlines to cut their service by as much as 10%, offering them incentives to do so, in a move that has been called “unprecedented,” Cruz's office reports.
“This problem is a direct result of the FAA's own failure to solve long-running staff shortages in the New York-New Jersey Terminal Radar Approach Control. As a result, the price of airfare will almost certainly rise and competition will decrease at some of our country's busiest airports,” said Cruz.
Cruz is now asking Buttigieg for details on efforts to reduce air traffic controller shortages, what safeguards are in place to prevent future reductions, and whether such reductions are expected during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has no clue what he is doing. He is totally unqualified for that position but he was one of the minorities that Biden wanted to cater to so he got the job. Another example of the Biden Administration dropping the ball at the expense of the American people. Sure isn’t going to cost Biden (& his family) more to fly around.
OUR GOVERNMENT HARD AT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE U.S.
CAPS INTENDED.
Cant we automate Air Traffic via AI?