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(CNN) — Air traffic disruptions have plagued summer travelers, and this past weekend was no exception.
Friday was the worst day for cancellations since mid-June, with 1,613 U.S. flights cancelled, according to data from flight-tracking site FlightAware. And over the weekend, the cancellations piled up.
Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg is not happy with the ongoing chaos in air traffic and calls on travelers to share their experiences.
While Buttigieg acknowledged the severe weather disrupted air traffic this weekend, “it shouldn’t have created the kind of ripple effects through the system that it did.
“That’s an indication to me that we still haven’t seen the improvements we need, that the system is very fragile,” Buttigieg said on CNN’s New Day on Wednesday.
He said the “human factor” is the biggest contributor to snappy air traffic.
“Not enough crew, especially pilots, to do the job. And, of course, airlines are required to maintain the tickets they sell,” Buttigieg said.
‘A good start’
Posting the proposed rule on Regulations.gov had more than 400 comments Wednesday morning.
One commentator, Natalia Villegas, agreed that more consumer protection is needed.
“The current ruling on when consumers are entitled to compensation is very vague and makes it nearly impossible for consumers to see any form of compensation,” Villegas wrote, pointing to a years-long struggle to receive a flight refund.
Another commenter said it was “a good start” but that it “doesn’t go far enough”. That commentator, Carol Poindexter, would like to see monetary compensation for delayed flights.
Buttigieg told CNN his own biggest frustration is the cancellations, noting that his own flight was canceled on Friday.
Buttigieg acknowledged the public’s frustration with airlines that have received federal bailouts during the pandemic.
“I think a lot of passengers don’t understand how more than $50 billion goes into keeping these companies in business, and if the demand comes back… they’re not willing to meet or meet that demand.”
He said that while hirings have bounced back in most areas, airlines are still short of pilots, partly due to early retirements. Recent pay increases instituted by some regional airlines should help recruit and retain more pilots, he said.
But it will likely be some time before the pilot shortage is remedied, an analyst recently told CNN.
“Many pilots have retired. It’s not easy to replace them,” said Jim Corridore, senior insights manager at research firm Similarweb. “It’s a long process, it will be another year before the airlines have a full schedule that will dictate this level of demand.”
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