U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says DOT is looking for more ways to cut down on flight cancellations and delays while asking airlines to change how they fly over water.
Flight cancellation and delay times are better, Buttigieg said in a Nov. 4 Twitter post.
"We've seen progress on flight cancellation and delay rates since summer, but there's more to do, especially ahead of the busy holiday season," Buttigieg said on Twitter. "We will continue to identify specific steps that can help."
Buttigieg recently sent a letter to airlines asking them to ease congestion in and out of Florida and other eastern U.S. airports by equipping their planes to fly over under-utilized routes over water, according to a Nov. 3 Reuters story. Buttigieg told airline chief executives that "over-water Atlantic Routes between North Carolina and Florida were underutilized this past winter season, even during times of high congestion, because some aircraft were not equipped to use them."
Buttigieg also told the airline chief executives that "to help avoid delays, we strongly encourage you to ensure your fleets traveling to and from Florida are equipped to use these," according to Reuters. Airlines utilizing over-water routes are required to carry enough life rafts for all occupants should the largest rated capacity raft be lost.
"Airlines and Buttigieg clashed for months over summer woes that led to tens of thousands of flight disruptions and prompted the department to pressure airlines to do more to boost service to passengers," Reuters reported.
