US should fine airlines over staff-linked flight cancellations, senators say

Two US senators have urged the US Transportation Department to fine airlines that delay or cancel flights because of staffing or operational issues, the latest push by lawmakers to convince regulators to get tough on the aviation industry. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Alex Padilla asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a letter released on Tuesday to take a harder line with airlines in the face of thousands of flight cancellations this summer. The department should use its authority "to impose fines designed to change airlines’ calculus about harming consumers to pad their own profits," the senators said, noting Buttigieg can order airlines and ticket agents to stop unfair or deceptive practices and may issue fines of up to $37,377 per violation. The department, Warren and Padilla added, can "take meaningful actions to hold airlines accountable for avoidable delays and cancellations." The department could issue "more concrete rules requiring airlines to offer refunds to passengers whose flights are delayed." Airlines for America said Tuesday US airlines have trimmed capacity by 16% and are "ramping up hiring initiatives and increasing communication with travelers" while addressing "a range of challenges, outside carrier control, such as inclement weather." Last month, Senate Budget Committee chair Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, urged Buttigieg "to take immediate action to substantially reduce the number of airline cancellations and delays in our country and to protect the rights of airline passengers."<br/>