Delta CEO says Trump administration’s approach to regulation could be ‘breath of fresh air’

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the Trump administration’s approach to regulation could be a “breath of fresh air.” Speaking to reporters ahead of Delta’s investor day, Bastian noted that President-elect Donald Trump campaigned saying he would take a “fresh look” at regulation and bureaucracy. The U.S. Department of Transportation under Secretary Pete Buttigieg has issued a host of rules aimed at protecting consumers, some of which the airline industry has bristled at, including one this year that requires carriers to provide automatic cash refunds to travelers when an airline cancels a flight. Bastian said the industry has seen a “level of overreach” over the past four years. The department is also looking into airlines’ lucrative loyalty programs, which bring in billions of dollars for carriers, helping to keep them afloat. The current DOT leadership is seeking information about how airlines can unilaterally change the value of frequent flyer points. The DOT has an open investigation into Delta’s handling of July’s CrowdStrike outage, during which the carrier canceled thousands of flights and struggled to recover compared with competitors. Delta on Wednesday said it expects to grow sales and profits in the months and years ahead, pointing to resilient consumer demand and sharp growth in household wealth since the pandemic. Trump tapped former U.S. congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as his pick to lead the department. Duffy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.<br/>