Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian was interviewed in New York, the United States, on Monday, November 7, 2022.
Gina Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian said the Trump administration’s regulatory approach could “bring a breath of fresh air.”
Speaking to reporters ahead of Delta Air Lines Investor Day, Bastian noted that the president-elect Donald Trump During the campaign, he said he would take a “fresh look” at regulation and bureaucracy.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has issued a series of rules aimed at protecting consumers, some of which have outraged the airline industry, including one this year requiring airlines to cancel flights after Automatically provide cash refunds to passengers.
Bastian said the industry had seen a “level of overexpansion” over the past four years.
The department is also investigating the airline’s lucrative business loyalty programwhich generates billions of dollars in revenue for operators, helping them stay afloat. Current DOT leadership is seeking information on how airlines unilaterally change the value of frequent flyer points.
Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday it expected Increase sales and profits This points to strong consumer demand and a sharp rise in household wealth since the pandemic in the coming months and years.
Trump appoints former U.S. congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as his choice to lead the department. Duffy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other U.S. airline CEOs also expressed enthusiasm for the incoming administration and urged incoming officials to ensure the industry has adequate resources to improve air traffic control and other critical infrastructure under the Federal Aviation Administration.
‘We must invest in this industry’ American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas last week. He said there is more work ahead to approve more visas so people can visit the United States
In an interview last week, sun country airlines “We just need the stability and resources of the Department of Transportation,” Chief Executive Jude Bricker said.
Industry members and analysts also expect the incoming administration to be more open to mergers and consolidation.
Alaska Airlines Acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines no resistance This year comes from President Biden’s administration. However, Biden’s Justice Department won Court challenges block two airline deals: proposed takeover of Spirit Airlines, deal Filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Monday, by JetBlue Airways and a partnership jetblue airways and American Airlines The plan was approved in the final days of Trump’s first administration.
“Perhaps this administration will have a different stance,” Sunland’s Bricker said. “It certainly can’t get any more opposition.”
