U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced a new civility campaign, "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You," aimed at promoting courtesy and safety in air travel. The initiative comes in response to a significant rise in unruly passenger behavior, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reporting a 400% increase in such incidents since 2019. This includes over 13,800 cases of disruptive behavior or violence since 2021.
Duffy emphasized the importance of restoring civility to improve the travel experience for passengers and ensure the safety of airline staff. He posed several questions for travelers to consider during the holiday season, such as assisting others with luggage, maintaining respectful attire, managing children appropriately, and expressing gratitude to flight attendants.
The campaign is part of broader efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation to enhance travel conditions. These efforts include building a new air traffic control system and increasing hiring for air traffic controllers.
The department has also been active in other areas, such as awarding $19.6 million through its Small Shipyard Grant Program to modernize shipyards across 19 states (https://www.maritime.dot.gov/newsroom/maritime-administration-awards-nearly-20-million-funding-strengthen-us-shipyard-economic). Additionally, it recently announced winners of its Inclusive Design Challenge on the ADA's anniversary (https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/anniversary-ada-usdot-announces-winners-its-first-ever-inclusive-design-challenge), aiming to improve mobility options for people with disabilities.
Moreover, new guidance and $7.3 billion in funding were released under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities prepare for extreme weather events (https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-administration-announces-new-protect-formula-program-73-billion-bipartisan). The department is also working on initiatives like FLOW to optimize freight logistics and reduce consumer costs (https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-supply-chain-companies-collaborate-speed-movement-goods-cut-costs-consumers).
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