Secretary Buttigieg (00:05):
Come on. Come on. Morning, everybody. Trust everybody is set. All right. Well good morning again. Thank you for joining us and a special thanks to Administrator Whitaker of the FAA and Administrator Pekoske of the TSA, both for joining us today and for their excellent leadership and the partnership of their teams. We are a week out from Thanksgiving and TSA is expecting a potentially record-breaking holiday travel season. If recent experiences any guide, these will likely be some of the busiest travel days in US history. While there are of course some factors that affect travel, especially the weather that are truly out of anybody's control, we can take and have taken a number of steps to make travel better. The efficiency of flights themselves, the facilities at the airport that you used before and after you're on board. And of course the new expansive passenger protections that we have secured in the event that your travel is disrupted.
(01:11)
The Biden-Harris administration is soon coming to a close. The presidential transition is underway and this may be one of the last times that I'm with you here at DCA. So I want to take a moment to remark on what we have been able to do since we got here, starting with something that I think is all too easy to forget, which is the condition of the US aviation sector four years ago when President Biden took office. It was still the midst of the pandemic. The airline industry had… Oh, now we can all hear me. The airline industry had been brought to a standstill by the onset of that pandemic. There was no consensus about how long it would take for our nation's airlines to recover or whether our airlines would survive at all. Through relief packages passed in Congress, American taxpayers ensured that airlines in the US stayed afloat in that time of need.
(02:08)
Because our nation needs a functioning system, both for passengers and for cargo. Those measures worked. As we all know, they worked so well, we sometimes forget how close we came to the airline sector, completely collapsing in this country had it not been for those interventions. But it did work and the airline industry came roaring back so much so that they almost immediately faced the opposite problem, struggling to keep up with the extraordinary demand. And too often it was passengers who felt the brunt of that. Our department stepped up and stepped in to use every power within our authority to improve service and to improve the flying experience for airline passengers. In concrete terms, some of what that included includes automatic refunds for cancelled and changed flights, refunds for late baggage, refunds for services not provided like Wi-Fi or seat selection or in-flight entertainment. During disruptions, free rebooking, meals, hotels related transportation, no more family seating junk fees for several airlines.
(03:17)
Passengers who experienced delays on Southwest flights that are considered controllable will receive $75 compensation vouchers as required by our consent order. And the first ever protections against frequent flyer points devaluation that were secured in the Alaska-Hawaiian agreement. Enhanced protections for millions of passengers with disabilities who deserve to travel safely and with dignity. $4 billion in refunds that had been owed by airlines to passengers secured with our help. And a new partnership with over 20 state Attorneys General that makes it possible for them to investigate airline complaints. And there is even now a lot more good work underway to make sure passengers get a fair deal. Which is why we are working on rules to ban family seating junk fees outright on all flights, to require airlines to pay cash compensation to travelers that they strand. Setting standard for when and what level of service like meals, hotels related transportation and free rebooking Airlines will provide during disruptions and protections for passengers who use wheelchairs.
(04:31)
We're fighting in court for our rule requiring airlines to tell you upfront what fees they charge, a common sense measure that the airlines are still suing to overturn. Investigating Delta Air Lines and others for meltdowns that took place this summer. Scrutinizing airline privacy policies to make sure that they are not unfairly using passengers personal data. Probing the four largest airlines reward programs amid concerns that they could be devaluing points, hiding prices, charging extra fees, or making it harder for smaller airlines to compete. Examining the state of competition in air travel and what practices or problems might be limiting flight options, making flights more expensive or otherwise making it painful to fly. In some, our administration has overseen the largest expansion of airline passenger rights and enforcement in the history of our department, during the busiest air travel years in the history of our country with some of the lowest rates of flight cancellations in over a decade this year.
(05:39)
At the same time, we have also made historic investments in our aviation infrastructure to make sure that the US airspace maintains its status as the safest, most efficient, most complex airspace in the world. The fact that the safest way to travel in the world is to enter a metal tube with dozens or hundreds of other people and be propelled through the air by highly flammable liquids at nearly the speed of sound, sometimes miles above the surface of the ground, that that is the safest form of travel we have, I think represents a civilizational achievement that we all too often take for granted. That achievement is hard-earned and renewed every day by the efforts of everyone involved in our aviation system. Air traffic controllers, flight attendants, TSA personnel, ground crews, so many people at the FAA and other workers who power our commercial aviation sector.
(06:34)
And if you have been through an airport lately, you've also noticed some construction underway. Thanks to President Biden's infrastructure package, we are modernizing airports with the first ever federal funding program for front of house projects, alongside the more traditional investments and things like radars and control and taxiways. Billions of dollars have been awarded to help airports add more check-in counters, faster security checkpoints, improve baggage claim, make it easier to find your gate, and in some cases help build entire new terminals and the roads to access them. To date, we have invested nearly 1,500 airports across this country, some on projects where they've already cut the ribbon on a finished project while others are just getting underway. We also continue to call on Congress to give FAA the long-term stable funding that it needs to modernize equipment and ensure smooth operations far into the future through mandatory funding for their capital accounts.
(07:35)
There's a lot I've mentioned just in the last few minutes, there's one final message I want to leave the traveling public with. Which is, if you are traveling this week, next week, remember how much we all count on the aviation workers who safely get us where we need to go. Since the pandemic, harassments and even attacks hit unprecedented highs. Those incidents are down from those peaks, but any number other than zero is intolerable. That kind of behavior puts everyone in the plane at risk and it can result in major fines, jail time, or both. We take these incidents seriously. We refer them directly to the Department of Justice. So please treat your flight crew with the respect that they deserve. And with that, I will turn it over to our FAA Administrator, who will share more about what we have been doing to improve operations and to make sure that everyone can travel as safely and as efficiently as possible over the holidays. Mike? Thanks.
Administrator Whitaker (08:33):
Good morning everyone. Thanks for joining us. I'm pleased to be here with Secretary Buttigieg and Administrator Pekoske, ahead of what we think will be our busiest Thanksgiving travel period ever. And while every day between now and Thanksgiving will be very busy, Tuesday is forecasted to be our busiest day. And while we know everyone wants to get to their final destination as quickly as possible, our priority is to get you there safely.
Administrator Whitaker (09:00):
So you should rest assured, the air travel is safer than ever. The FAA works around the clock so that passengers are safe from takeoff to touchdown. In fact, we've seen recently a drop in close calls. And for the first nine months of 2024, the rate of serious close calls decreased by 72% from the same period last year. That's the result of a lot of action that we've taken to address and prevent runway close calls, including deploying new technology around the country.
(09:33)
For example, we sent four airfield surveillance systems to the fastest growing airports in the country, Austin, Indianapolis, Nashville and Dallas Love. This technology, reduces the risk of runway incursions by improving air traffic controllers situational awareness. It's been so successful that we want to deploy that at 14 more airports by the end of this calendar year.
(09:58)
We've also installed approach runway verification systems at more than 74 airport towers. This technology provides audio and visual alerts to controllers if an arriving aircraft is lined up to land on the wrong airport surface. And finally, we installed runway incursion devices at five airports for operational evaluation. This technology provides air traffic controllers with audio or visual identification of when a runway is not available for arrivals or departure. Looking ahead to next year, the FAA will begin to deploy this technology at 74 airports across the country. Our thousands of air traffic professionals are ready for the increased volume this week and through the holiday season. We're closely watching the weather, which is of course the biggest source of delays, and we'll do our best to work around that. Our command center in Virginia has real-time engagement with all of the airlines to find the most efficient, safe path around weather as it occurs.
(11:02)
We've also looked at what is needed to keep the air traffic moving efficiently at some of the most crowded airspace in the country. For example, earlier this year, we made a decision to move the Newark area air traffic out of New York into the Philadelphia TRACON. With this move, we're able to relieve the stress in New York and improve controller staffing levels by recruiting and training controllers in Philadelphia.
(11:28)
This has been meant to get us healthy on a staffing level. In addition to the controllers who came over from New York, we already have a strong pipeline of 28 certified controller trainees who want to work in this airspace. During the Thanksgiving travel period, we will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages on that particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages, so we're working diligently to make sure that that can as efficiently as possible.
(12:01)
These initiatives keep the system safe, and people should know that safety is never at risk. If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe. We're also thinking long-term when it comes to keeping the National Airspace system safe. We plan to hire another 2000 controllers over the course of this year in the fiscal year going into next year. We're also investing $4 billion in 400 airports around the country to improve their infrastructure, and we're expanding our university partnerships for training potential new hires into the towers.
(12:38)
Just yesterday, we announced with Embry Riddle a new enhanced controller training program, which is an important way for us to get more controllers out of the university system in addition to out of our own academy. So while the FAA is doing its part to keep the skies safe, we need the public to do their part as well. Our agency and your flight crews are all focused on getting you to your destination safely.
(13:04)
And while thanking your flight crews is not required, it is highly encouraged. And as the secretary mentioned earlier, let's remember to treat each other with respect during the travel season. And I want to remind everyone that we have a zero tolerance policy for unruly behavior. We will not hesitate to pursue civil penalties, legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.
(13:34)
Finally, some other things to remember while traveling, please pack safe when it comes to lithium batteries and remember to check recalls and keep the lithium batteries in the cabin, not in your check bags. And please arrive in enough time to get through security and make your flight during this busy season, which all seems like a good segue to turn it over to Administer Pekoske, who will have some more travel tips for you for this travel season. Thank you.
Pekoske (14:02):
Thanks, Mike. Well, thank you, Mike, and good morning everyone. It's great to be here at Reagan National Airport, which is an airport that has historical significance to my agency. It's literally the birthplace of TSA because on the 19th of November 2001, president George W. Bush signed the enabling legislation that created TSA, and TSA this week is 23 years old.
(14:26)
It's a privilege to be part of Secretary Buttigieg's press conference TSA started in DOT before moving to DHS in 2003. We have maintained strong ties with DOT and worked together to ensure safe and secure transportation in this country. That joint work includes topics like cybersecurity, unruly passengers, as Mike mentioned, public charter operations, advanced air mobility systems, air cargo security, and of course, passenger safety and security.
(14:55)
As the secretary and Mike have said, this will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel. That's not a surprise given the incredible recovery in air travel in the United States since the pandemic. This year has already been the busiest in TSA history. All 10 of our top busiest days in our 23 years have occurred since the 24th of May of this year, and we have screened an excess of 3 million passengers in a day for the first time ever.
(15:22)
We expect we'll break that threshold over this holiday period. We project our busiest days in terms of passenger volumes to be next Tuesday at 2.8 million passengers across the entire system of 433 airports, next Wednesday at 2.9 million passengers, and then the Sunday following Thanksgiving, which is always our busiest day, it's the busiest day of the year typically in passenger travel, that will be a day that we'll have more than 3 million passengers we project.
(15:51)
As I said, this year, passenger volumes are the highest we've ever seen, and fortunately, our staffing in TSA is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. Plus, we've introduced a lot of new technology to improve security effectiveness, to improve security efficiency, and to enhance the customer experience.
(16:11)
We are ready across 433 federalized airports to ensure passengers can complete the screening process within our established wait times of 30 minutes or less for non-pre-checked passengers and 10 minutes or less for pre-checked passengers. A few tips that I would offer that would make you and your fellow travelers travel experience easy.
(16:31)
The first one is start with an empty bag. If you're picking up a bag that you're going to carry through the checkpoint and you might've used it for some other purpose beyond air travel, just please make sure it's empty before you start packing it for your trip. We often find that people have things in their carry-on bags that they forgot about because they had put it in several weeks or in some cases, several months ago.
(16:52)
The other is to arrive a little bit early and as you arrive, pack a little patience. It's going to be crowded. It's going to be crowded, especially during the rush hours that occur in airports nearly every day, very early in the morning, in the early evening hours are generally the busiest times. If you travel with a firearm, you must put that firearm in your check bags. It cannot go in your accessible property or your carry-on bags, and you must declare it with the airline.
(17:20)
Firearms can not be in the checkpoints. They cannot be in the sterile area of the airport and certainly not aboard aircraft. Just this year, we have detected over 6,000 firearms already, and that is a costly mistake for people who introduce firearms into the checkpoint in terms of money because it results in a civil penalty, also in terms of their time, also in terms of the safety of everybody in that checkpoint operation.
(17:47)
And so I would just encourage people, if you travel with a firearm, you can absolutely do it. It just needs to be in your check bag. The other piece of advice I'd offer you if you have a question, and really, this is the holiday where people generally have the most questions about what can I bring?
Pekoske (18:00):
… and literally, if you go on the TSA website, super easy to remember, tsa.gov, there is a special tag for "What can I bring?", and you can put what you want to bring into the search feature, and it will tell you whether you can bring it in your accessible property through the checkpoint, or whether you can bring it in your checked baggage. I encourage everybody to use that feature. Another one that I would offer is we have a texting feature. If you text, "AskTSA," no spaces, you will get an answer back from us very quickly with the same kind of questions. "Can I bring a turkey?" for example. "Can I bring stuffing into the checkpoint operations for screening?"
(18:38)
While it won't be a benefit this Thanksgiving, I would just offer that to future-proof your convenience in follow-on travel as early as the December holidays, consider one of the trusted traveler programs like Global Entry or PreCheck. Visit tsa.gov to enroll or dhs.gov. Either site will take you through steps that will bring you to our enrollment vendors, and you will have a much more convenient experience. As I mentioned, TSA PreCheck passengers generally wait 10 minutes or less. Typically, it's in the sub-five minute wait times for that service. TSA PreCheck provides five years of membership for about $15 a year, so it's basically covering the costs we incur to operate the program, but I think it's a very good investment for people who might want additional convenience in their travel. All year long, but especially at Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the work the entire TSA team does to ensure your travel is safe and secure. I am thankful for the strong partnerships we have with our colleagues at DOT and FAA, with the air carriers and with the airports. We all work hard every day to ensure a seamless, safe, and secure travel experience. Please consider offering your thanks to our dedicated frontline workers as you travel over the holiday, whether it's a gate agent, a flight attendant, your pilot, or a transportation security officer. Thank you, and now we will turn it over to questions, please. Thank you.
Shep (20:04):
Yeah, if you have a question, please raise your hand and [inaudible 00:20:07].
Speaker 1 (20:04):
[inaudible 00:20:24]. You mentioned [inaudible 00:20:21].
Pekoske (20:42):
Well, I guess I'd have to push back a little bit on the premise of that question. Delays are actually down with the transfer of the aerospace, so we have not seen very many delays as a result, and we are working the staffing issue as quickly as we can. We expected some disruption, which is why we're pushing so many controllers through the pipeline. We have never been able to get this kind of a pipeline for staffing Newark when it was in New York, so we're very optimistic we're going to get through this with minimal delay. We work very closely with the airlines. They've understood that there were going to be some bumps in the road. They haven't been any worse than we anticipated, and the delays are actually down year over year.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
[inaudible 00:21:38].
Secretary Buttigieg (21:39):
I can't speculate on what a following administration will do. What I'll say is that every action we've taken, whether it's an enforcement action like our response to Southwest Airlines, or rulemaking, whether it's passenger protections or things that have improved safety on our railroads, every action we've taken is one that we think is justified, grounded in the law and the right thing to do. In my opinion, these are generally actions that enjoy broad bipartisan support, at least in the American public. It is my hope that regardless of the party in charge in Washington, the things we've done to make it easier to be an airline passenger in America and other actions we've taken will stand the test of time.
Shep (22:23):
Another question.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
[inaudible 00:22:31].
Secretary Buttigieg (22:30):
Sorry, a little louder.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
[inaudible 00:22:55].
Secretary Buttigieg (22:54):
Yeah. I know that some airline CEOs have expressed hopes that the next administration will be less passenger-friendly and more corporation-friendly than this administration. I can't speculate on whether that's true or not. What I will say is that the passenger protections we have put in place deservedly enjoy broad public bipartisan support. While they might be hoping that a future administration will eliminate those passenger protections, I've got to say that the feedback we've gotten from the public has been universally supportive. I just don't run into a lot of people who are against the idea that you ought to get an automatic refund without any hassle, for example.
(23:43)
Now, of course, both of those airlines have also been investigated or have been on the receiving end of enforcement actions. I'm sure that's not been a pleasant experience, but the enforcement action that we took with regard to Southwest is one that did right by passengers and I think sent an important message in the industry.
(24:03)
Likewise with Delta. Now, let me be clear, the Delta investigation is still ongoing, so we don't have any conclusions, but the reason that investigation is happening is because we were bombarded with complaints and reports on everything from Delta passengers being unable to get somebody on the phone for hours and hours after being stranded, and concerns about what they were told about their right to a refund. I want to emphasize, any airlines, especially since the FAA reauthorization passed, any airline that failed to proactively offer refunds to passengers could be in violation of federal law. We're going to continue to enforce the rules. We're going to continue to support passengers. If I were an airline CEO, which a quick examination of my personal finances would validate this is not the case, but if I were, I would spend more energy on taking care of passengers and direct less energy at my regulator.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I have two questions. One, Secretary, do you still think the decision of administration to lock the spirit of jet fuel [inaudible 00:25:13] is the right one given that they [inaudible 00:25:15]. In the past, you have demonstrated a of care. Are we trying to [inaudible 00:25:22], and can you talk about [inaudible 00:25:29]?
Secretary Buttigieg (25:29):
Yes, we believe we did the right thing. That was the right thing to do given the market and given the law. I continue to be concerned about concentration in this sector in general. I think we've demonstrated we're not fundamentalist about this. We came to terms, for example, on the Alaska-Hawaii merger. I want to note also that flights continue of course on Spirit as they go through that bankruptcy. Far from the first time that that has happened to an airline operating in the US. Mike?
Pekoske (25:59):
Thanks, and Shep, I think that was six questions instead of two, but on your first point, Dave and I were talking downstairs that he and I are both in somewhat of an unusual circumstance that our terms transcend administrations. David's been through this process at least once. He and I have spoken a little bit. I haven't, so I'm looking forward to engaging in this process in the transition, and I was pleased to see that the DOT position was one of the early fills, so .I'm looking forward to working with the incoming secretary. Right now we're focused on safety and trying to make this transition as smooth as possible. On Boeing, we have continued to monitor the situation. We still have folks on the ground even through the strike that was ongoing. Of course, now they will be ramping up production, which has its own challenges. We are working closely with Boeing to make sure the safety management system is driving their actions during that process. We know that that is the driving force. We will continue to have our
Administrator Whitaker (27:00):
… our regular engagement and work very closely with them, and I plan to visit shortly out there to resume our CEO-level meetings going forward. Thanks.
Speaker 5 (27:24):
[inaudible 00:27:21] Transportation secretary will make our [inaudible 00:27:25] safe again by eliminating [inaudible 00:27:28] and air traffic control. Does diversity, equity and inclusion make aviation less safe?
Secretary Buttigieg (27:34):
Look, some folks, all they want to talk about is culture issues. We have always been guided by the founding principles of our department, including a commitment to safety.
(27:47)
Look, the opposite of diversity is uniformity. I don't know why anybody would be rooting for that. We want to make sure that we have great opportunities and that they are fair for anybody who wants to work in the aviation sector. And we've been able to encourage that in a way that is true to our North Star, which is safety and performance.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Do you think the president-elect is propagating misinformation?
Secretary Buttigieg (28:15):
I'm going to… The time for the campaign has come and gone. We're focused on making sure that we do our job well for the remaining two months.
(28:21)
Unlike the administrators, there's a very clear finish line for my tenure here. We're going to sprint through the tape on getting grants out, getting rules finished, and then the next administration will do whatever it's going to do.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
And any advice for the person taking your job?
Secretary Buttigieg (28:36):
I reached out to Mr. Duffy yesterday to congratulate him on getting what I believe is the best job in the federal government. I let him know that upon confirmation he'll be working with some of the, in my biased opinion, the best men and women in public service, and that there is a great tradition of former secretaries from either party rooting for the success of the department long after they leave, and I hope to be part of that tradition.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
[inaudible 00:29:08] What's the latest on that [inaudible 00:29:12] cooperation [inaudible 00:29:17]
Secretary Buttigieg (29:17):
So, to my knowledge, they have been engaging our department on the data that we have requested. That data and information is due soon. Our intent is to make sure that people's points and miles and their value is protected. It is, in our view, a real problem if a passenger is promised one thing and gets another. And we've heard complaints and concerns about a lack of transparency, or sort of bait and switch where you're told if you get this credit card or do this, you're getting a trip to Hawaii, but you try to actually book it and it's just impossible. I think, and I say this not just as a policymaker, but as a passenger, a lot of us love our points and miles. They have become almost like a part of our savings, but they don't have the same protections that cash savings in a bank do. We need to make sure that any practices related to those points and miles are fair and above board.
Speaker 7 (30:15):
Time for two more questions.
Speaker 8 (30:17):
[inaudible 00:30:17] with Mr. Duffy. One thing [inaudible 00:30:28]
Secretary Buttigieg (30:36):
There's only one secretary and one administration at a time, and the next administration will act as it sees fit. I will emphasize that so much of what we do is or ought to be among the most bipartisan or nonpartisan realms of domestic policy. I think that's true in the infrastructure we're building around the country. I think it's true in our safety and operations agenda, and I think it's true with the rule makings. Now, different people may view it differently, but again, in terms of the public response to our expansion of airline passenger rights, it has been overwhelmingly positive and I do think that's an indication that measures like continuing to protect passengers can enjoy broad bipartisan support.
(31:24)
One thing I might've mentioned also in the context of Delta is, I have always believed that it can only help the aviation sector to have strong passenger protections, and I would note that some of these companies have been showing very healthy profits even at this new and higher level of consumer protection, demonstrating to me that those things can travel together.
Speaker 8 (31:44):
[inaudible 00:31:49]
Pekoske (32:04):
Yeah, no, we sure do, and we've been investing in that technology now for about five years and that's called computed Tomography or CT or CAT scan X-ray systems. That will eventually allow us, with some additional testing and some software modifications, to relax the liquid limits for passengers. We're not quite at that stage just yet. We want to make sure that we do it as much in alignment with other nations as we can. I would note that that CT program, been in place for four or five years, at the current funding levels won't be completed until 2042. We have a very, very big system in the United States. We have roughly 2300 screening lanes, and so it's going to take us a while at current funding levels. But at an event yesterday I mentioned that we do have contracts in place and we can complete that by 2031, if we had the funding to be able to do it. Thanks.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Thank you all.
Secretary Buttigieg (32:57):
All right, thanks everybody.
Speaker X (32:57):
Great. Thanks.
Secretary Buttigieg (32:59):
I have a question. What's the answer to the turkey? Can you bring a turkey or not?
Pekoske (33:02):
Yes, yes you can.
Secretary Buttigieg (33:02):
Okay. Frozen or-