Pete Buttigieg reflects on DOT tenure and airline regulation legacy

Skift conducted an exit interview, of sorts, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He highlighted the successes and challenges of his tenure, focusing on his department’s work overseeing the airline industry’s postpandemic recovery, regulatory enforcement, and consumer protections. Under Buttigieg, the Department of Transportation implemented regulations such as automatic refunds, junk fee disclosures, and free family seating. Airlines have pushed back, with Delta’s CEO criticizing the measures as overreach and industry lobbying group Airlines for America filing lawsuits over DOT’s regulations.

Buttigieg also discussed his balanced approach to airline mergers, supporting some (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines) while blocking others (JetBlue and Spirit), and emphasized the importance of competition and consumer benefits. He defended DOT’s stricter enforcement practices, which included significant fines, and noted progress in passenger rights.

The FAA lacked a confirmed leader for the first eighteen months of the administration, with the agency operating under acting leadership until Polly Trottenberg assumed the role of acting administrator in June 2023. This allowed Buttigieg an increased role in aviation, an apparent interest of his.

Reflecting on his legacy, Buttigieg expressed pride in leaving the airline sector in better shape and called for bipartisan support for consumer protections and infrastructure improvements. While he acknowledged concerns about potential reversals under the incoming administration, he remained hopeful his work would survive claiming cross-party benefits and support.