MANCHESTER – U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), called for accountability, including potential fines from the Department of Transportation, for airlines that cancel flights and disrupt the travel plans of Granite Staters and millions of American throughout the country over the summer months.

Pappas wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlighting the need for transparency for consumers and accountability for airline companies that commute to cancel flights at the last minute and oversell flights they intend to cancel.

“The week of July 4th is among the busiest travel times of the year, and there is absolutely no excuse for airlines to be caught so woefully unprepared and have to cancel thousands of flights at the last minute. These disruptions cost my constituents even more of their hard-earned money, and it’s simply unacceptable,” said Congressman Pappas. “There must be more transparency for travelers and consequences for airlines that sell tickets they know they can’t honor. When the airlines needed help, the American taxpayers were there, and industry workers have been working around the clock to meet demand. Now it’s time for these companies to step up and honor their obligations and treat their passengers and workers with respect.”

In 2009, the Obama Administration levied fines against airlines that kept passengers waiting on the tarmac. The airline industry received more than $50 billion in federal COVID-19 funds, boosted CEO pay, and posted large profits, yet they continue to cancel flights, create interminable delays, and fail to meet consumer demand.

Read the full text of the letter below:

Secretary Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Secretary Buttigieg:

I write on behalf of the tens of thousands of Granite Staters, along with millions of Americans throughout the country, who plan to travel by air over the 4th of July holiday and in the summer months ahead. Over the last two years, Americans have had to put off family vacations, honeymoons, reunions, and other travel to remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also delayed travel for work and other reasons. This has been an incredible sacrifice for many, but thanks to a robust, all-of-government approach including safe, effective vaccines and treatments, Americans can now travel safely once again.

Unfortunately, these long-delayed travel plans are being delayed even further by airlines that are woefully unprepared for the annual summer travel spike and have canceled tens of thousands of flights, many at the last minute while families are just days away from travel or even at the gate and ready to board.

The start of this summer has shown that airlines were not prepared to meet the increased demand from travelers. I urge the Department to immediately enforce fines upon airlines who cancel scheduled flights with little notice.

It is alarming that 3.5% of flights were canceled and 20% of flights were delayed through the first four months of this year. Data shows that only 1 out of every 5 delayed flights has been due to poor weather, a decrease from 1 out of every 3 pre-pandemic. Clearly, poor weather is playing a less significant role in airline delays than it was before the pandemic and is an insufficient excuse for the travel disruptions.

Airlines received $54 billion in government funds throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and have had over two years to prepare for the inevitable return to pre-pandemic travel levels. This should have been more than sufficient time and financial resources for airlines to maintain adequate staffing levels.

If these delays and cancellations continue, they will have real-world consequences for millions of Americans this summer. If flights are canceled, the airline must provide immediate refunds to their customers, and promptly provide them with alternate travel resources.

At this moment, it is critical that the Department of Transportation demonstrate strong leadership before this becomes a crisis facing the millions of Americans planning to travel this summer. Rather than reacting to a mass increase in delayed flights, the Department should inform airlines that they will be enforcing significant fines if airlines continue to overpromise and underdeliver.

To reiterate, I call on the Department of Transportation to undertake these specific actions:

Implement fines on airlines who cancel scheduled flights with insufficient notice.

Enforce laws requiring airlines to refund and promptly provide new travel options for passengers whose flights have been significantly delayed or rescheduled.

Utilize the significant amount of government assistance received to hire sufficient pilots, customer service representatives, and flight attendants, to meet the demand of American travelers.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this issue. Again, I believe that protecting American travelers should be of the utmost importance to the Department of Transportation and to the Biden administration more broadly. I look forward to continuing to work with you to support them at this difficult moment in our nation’s history

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