Washington to New York."That is happening to a lot of people, and that is exactly why we are paying close attention here to what can be done and how to make sure that the airlines are delivering," Buttigieg told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.Buttigieg said he is pushing the airlines to stress-test their summer schedules to ensure they can operate all their planned flights with the employees they have, and to add customer-service workers.
That could put pressure on airlines to make additional cuts in their summer schedules.RELATED: Man sues American Airlines after mistaken identity lands him in jail for 17 daysButtigieg said his department could take enforcement actions against airlines that fail to live up to consumer-protection standards.
But first, he said, he wants to see whether there are major flight disruptions over the July Fourth holiday weekend and the rest of the summer.WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 16: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks at a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Enforcement actions can results in fines, although they tend to be small.
Air Canada agreed to pay a $2 million fine last year over slow refunds.During Thursday's virtual meeting, airline executives described steps they are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled. "Now we're going to see how those steps measure up," Buttigieg said.RELATED: Couple gets married on flight to Vegas: 'Any turbulence, I want to weather it with you'Travel is back.