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☆ US government shutdown could add misery to air travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Travel Association said a partial shutdown would cost the U.S. travel economy as much as $140 million a day. During a government shutdown, the U.S. air travel system would be "hampered by more flight delays, longer screening lines and setbacks in air travel modernization," the group said. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officers are among the government workers who would be required to keep working but would not be paid. A government watchdog report said in June that air traffic operations were at risk. The FAA was forced to slow air traffic putting pressure on lawmakers to end the standoff.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, shutdowns, David Shepardson, Grant McCool Organizations: LaGuardia, U.S, Acquire, . Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S . Travel Association, Air, Transportation Security Administration, FAA, TSA, Thomson Locations: New York City, New York, WASHINGTON, U.S

Across the country, federal workers still stung by the memories of past government shutdowns are grimacing and bracing for another potential extended closure. Johnny J. Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA workers unit within the AFGE, said even a temporary loss in pay is a massive disruption for government workers who live paycheck to paycheck. LaPointe, a mother of four who is also a union leader for 30,000 Social Security workers through AFGE, said a shutdown would be “a catastrophe" personally. A Partnership for Public Service survey ranks the Social Security Administration last among agencies in the “Best Places to Work” government-wide index. “We don’t often feel like it’s worth it to be federal employees at the time of a shutdown,” LaPointe said.

Persons: — John Hubert, Steve Reaves, Jessica LaPointe, she's, “ We’re, ”, Hubert, “, Washington gridlock, we've, Tom Vilsack, Johnny J, Jones, ” Jones, LaPointe, ” LaPointe, Reaves, — Organizations: WASHINGTON, Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Social Security, Disney, TSA, American Federation of Government Employees, Democrats, White House, USDA, Social, Republicans, Public Service Locations: Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Madison , Wisconsin, Washington, AFGE

The Office of Management and Budget reminded senior agency officials Friday to update and review shutdown plans. Those plans can vary from shutdown to shutdown. The nearly 4 million Americans who are federal employees will feel the effect immediately. Essential workers will remain on the job, but others will be furloughed until the shutdown is over. For many of them, a shutdown would strain their finances, as it did during the record 35-day funding lapse in 2018-2019.

Persons: “, ”, Doreen Greenwald, Everett Kelley, Pell, disbursing Pell, It’s, treasurers Organizations: CNN, Management, National Treasury Employees Union, American Federation of Government Employees, Transportation Security Administration, Social Security, TSA, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Business Administration, Futures, US Centers for Disease Control, Drug Administration, Safety, Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, ”, Smithsonian, National, National Archives, National Park Service, of Education, Federal Student Aid, Federal, Department of, Assistance, SNAP, US Department of Agriculture, Women, of Housing, Urban Development, Commission, Research, NOAA, Oceanic, Administration, National Science Foundation, Peace Corps, State Department, Defense Department Locations: United States, America, Washington, DC, shutdowns

☆ The U.S. federal government is headed into a shutdown. What does it mean, who’s hit and what’s next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won't receive paychecks. A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation. Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security departments. Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services.

Persons: Samuel Corum, Kevin McCarthy's, Goldman Sachs, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Trump, Republicans defund, Benjamin Civiletti, Bill Clinton's, Newt Gingrich Organizations: Getty, Democratic, Republican, Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Transportation Security, Postal Service, U.S . Travel Industry Association, Lawmakers, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Republicans, U.S, Democrats Locations: Washington , DC, shutdowns

Persons: Kevin McCarthy's, Goldman Sachs, “, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Trump, Republicans defund, Benjamin Civiletti, Bill Clinton's, Newt Gingrich, isn't, Fatima Hussein, Lindsay Whitehurst, Josh Boak, Lisa Mascaro Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Republican, WHO, Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Transportation Security, Postal Service, U.S . Travel Industry Association, Lawmakers, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Republicans, U.S, Democrats, Senate, Associated Locations: shutdowns

☆ The government could shut down in a week. Here's what's at stake for Americans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Come September 30, some Americans may not see a paycheck or be able to visit parks. For everyday Americans, that could mean losing out on paychecks or childcare spots, and it could even worsen flight delays. The Social Security Administration, for instance, anticipates about 8,500 employees would be furloughed in a shutdown. Travel plans might be further disrupted as Transportation Security Administration workers and air-traffic controllers go without pay, the White House said. The White House has repeatedly said Republicans are bringing Americans this close to another government shutdown.

Persons: GOPers, Kevin McCarthy, holdouts, McCarthy, I've, Here's, wouldn't, Deb Haaland, Biden, Mike Simpson, Politico, we've, haven't Organizations: Service, Caucus, Main Street Caucus, Punchbowl News, Social Security, Management, Social Security Administration, Social, Department of Health, Human Services, Medicare, Center, American Progress, Environmental, Agency, Drug, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, US Department of Agriculture, NASA, Republican, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Budget, East, Republicans Locations: Wall, Silicon, East Coast, Idaho

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) — Five puppies learning to be assistance dogs had a howling good time Tuesday during a training exercise at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. During the training, the quintet of pooches and their trainers walked through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, rode an elevated tram and boarded an airplane. It was all part of an effort to acclimate the dogs to one of the many settings they may experience later in life. The training was led by Paws With A Cause — a Wayland, Michigan-based nonprofit that oversees the custom training of puppies that become assistance dogs for people with disabilities. The group pairs puppies with volunteers who raise and socialize the dogs for the first year of their lives.

Persons: ROMULUS, they’re, Liz Hood, Hood, ” Hood Organizations: Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Transportation Security Administration Locations: Mich, Wayland , Michigan

Is there an election coming up by any chance?”While some individual schools and colleges have implemented temporary mask requirements, there is no sign that anyone in federal or state leadership is considering widespread COVID-19 restrictions, requirements or mask mandates. “No COVID-19 public health restrictions or mask requirements are being considered by the Murphy administration," said Christi Peace, spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. It was largely the same message from Democratic governors’ offices in several other states that responded to an inquiry about whether any COVID-19 mandates were under consideration. “Currently, COVID-19 lockdowns and mask mandates are not being discussed and the governor has no plans to institute these measures,” she said. Reinstated mask requirements across the country have so far been limited to a handful of local schools and businesses.

Persons: It's, Ron DeSantis, ”, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Donald Trump, Biden, ” Trump, Murphy, Phil Murphy, Jodi McGinnis Porter, Josh Shapiro, Kathy Hochul, Elisabeth Shephard, Tina Kotek, “, Alex Jones, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden’s, ” Biden, they’ve, Sen, J.D, Vance of, Democratic Sen, Ed Markey, Greene, Lisa Fazio, Tate Reeves, Nicky Forster, Joey Cappelletti, Mike Catalini, Jill Colvin, John Hanna, Maysoon Khan, Seung Min Kim, Steve LeBlanc, Morgan Lee, Marc Levy, Lisa Mascaro, Andrew Selsky Organizations: Florida Gov, Republicans, New Jersey Gov, New, New Mexico Department of Public Health, Oregon . Pennsylvania, Democrat, Democratic, New York Gov, TSA, Transportation Security, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Republican, Morris Brown College, CDC, White House, Massachusetts, Vanderbilt University, Press, Associated Press, AP Locations: ”, Carolina, Rapid City , South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas , Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, California, New York, COVID, Colorado, Atlanta, Georgia, South Lake, Maryland, Vance of Ohio, Mississippi

☆ Factbox: US government shutdown: what does it mean?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The 2018-2019 shutdown furloughed roughly 800,000 of the federal government's 2.2 million employees. It is not clear whether the United States' 63 national parks would remain open. In the 2018-19 shutdown the Trump administration kept them open with public restrooms and information desks closed and waste disposal halted. Some states, such as New York and Utah, paid for their sites to stay open and staffed during the 2018-2019 shutdown. Unlike a government shutdown, a U.S. debt default would likely have severe consequences, roiling global financial markets and plunging the country into recession.

Persons: Julia Nikhinson, Goldman Sachs, Obama, Trump, Moira Warburton, Andy Sullivan, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S . Capitol Police, REUTERS, Congressional Research Service, Lawmakers, Services, Congressional, White House, Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Justice, Transportation, Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Pentagon, Congress, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, New York, Utah, U.S, Washington

☆ Sec. Buttigieg looking for reductions in unruly passengers, close calls after busiest air travel summer on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —As an increasing number of passengers are acting out on crowded aircraft this summer, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has an admonition for passengers. “We expect everybody to respect flight crews and their fellow passengers.”Incidents ticked up over the summer months, from 586 last summer to 747 this year, according to FAA records. He made the comments as the Transportation Security Administration said the summer was the busiest at airports nationwide in the agency’s two-decade history. Buttigieg said airlines are doing a better job than last summer at getting passengers to their destinations. Sometimes we’ve seen an issue with ground crews.”“We have extremely high standards for close calls,” he continued.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, ”, “, ” Buttigieg, Buttigieg Organizations: CNN, O’Hare, FAA, Justice Department, Transportation Security Administration Locations: Chicago

☆ US FAA considering stricter rules for high-volume charter flight operators
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday it is considering subjecting high-volume charter flight operators to stricter regulations imposed on passenger airlines. Airline unions have opposed the expansion of charter operations. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson praised the FAA action, calling the charter regulations a "loophole that undermines safety and security rules for commercial aviation." SkyWest (SKYW.O) has sought approval to conduct passenger operations through a separate charter operation and faces strong opposition from unions. Aviation unions and American Airlines (AAL.O) have criticized growing charter operations by air carrier JSX.

Persons: Marco Bello, Sara Nelson, JSX, David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Miami International Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, REUTERS, Rights, Airline, Association of Flight, Transportation Security Administration, Transportation Department, SkyWest, Aviation, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Thomson Locations: Florida, Miami , Florida, U.S, Dallas, Washington

☆ US airlines see no letup in travel demand despite broader economic concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CHICAGO, July 20 (Reuters) - A rush among travelers to make up for lost time during the pandemic is producing bumper airline earnings. United Airlines (UAL.O) and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) have also raised their earnings estimates as consumers cut spending on goods in favor of experiences. "It's indicative of our belief that the economy is strong, demand is strong," American CEO Robert Isom said on an earnings call. Strong demand has bolstered airfares, allowing carriers to offset higher costs. They point to frequent upgrades to airline earnings forecasts as an evidence of strong travel spending.

Persons: Robert Isom, Scott Kirby, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, U.S . Transportation, Airline, Thomson Locations: Texas, U.S, Europe

☆ Airfare is cooling as carriers add service for summer peak period
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Flights are getting cheaper as airlines ramp up service during what's shaping up to be a busy summer. Delta Air Lines on Thursday reported record earnings for the second quarter, estimated more record revenue through the start of fall and hiked its full-year forecast. Delta's domestic revenue unit revenues fell 1% in the quarter from the same period of 2019, but trans-Atlantic unit revenues rose 22% and the smaller trans-Pacific segment rose 29% and Latin American service unit revenues were up 16%. Airlines have been especially aggressive in adding record amounts of service to Europe this summer and higher unit revenues are showing that fares there continue to hold up. United Airlines and American Airlines will provide their outlooks on demand next week when they're scheduled to report results.

Persons: airfares Organizations: National Airport, Transportation Security Administration, Air Lines, Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Europe

☆ US airline stock valuations stuck on runway despite travel boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Jim Vondruska/File PhotoCHICAGO, July 12 (Reuters) - Relentless travel demand has sent bookings at U.S. carriers soaring, translating into bumper earnings. Airline shares have suffered because of bearish sentiment about the broader economy as interest rates are up sharply and inflation remains high, analysts said. There are still no signs of air travel demand waning as ticket purchases for the rest of 2023 are up 4%, said Steve Solomon, ARC's chief commercial officer. Believers in airline stocks have seen signs of hope this year. Global Investors' Holmes said airline shares are poised for even more gains.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Refinitiv, Jefferies, Sheila Kahyaoglu, TD Cowen, Frank Holmes, Steve Solomon, Hopper, Hayley Berg, Hopper's, airfares, Holmes, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Ben Klayman, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Chicago Midway International, REUTERS, Airline, US Global Jets ETF, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Airlines, Global Investors, U.S . Transportation, Airlines Reporting Corporation, ARC, airfare, Delta, American Airlines, Global, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Europe, United

☆ A Las Vegas flight to Hawaii was diverted after a passenger AirDropped a photo suggesting there was a bomb on the plane to other passengers, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Police said Southwest Airlines diverted a flight after someone on board share a sinister message. Police said the passenger shared a photo that appeared to suggest there was a bomb on the plane. A flight attendant also received photos via AirDrop that suggested a bomb was "contained within the aircraft," Modeste told Insider in a statement. In a statement provided to Insider, Southwest Airlines said it would defer additional questions to local authorities who met the aircraft. And in January Pegasus Airlines delayed a flight after passengers were AirDropped images of plane crashes.

Persons: Tya Modeste, Modeste, Valerie Maluchnik, Maluchnik Organizations: Police, Southwest Airlines, FBI, Morning, Alameda County Sheriff's, Mercury, Southwest, Oakland International, Operations, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, APS, American Airlines, Pegasus Airlines Locations: Las Vegas, Hawaii, Oakland, Alameda County, Alameda

☆ Airlines struggled ahead of July Fourth weekend. Their stocks didn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Travelers are seen ahead of the fourth of July holiday weekend at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 30, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Flight disruptions piled up at airports around the country ahead of the July Fourth weekend, but airline investors have largely shrugged them off. More than 63,000 flights operated by U.S. airlines, or 30% of their schedules, were delayed between June 24 through July 2. But sky-high travel demand continues to keep airline stocks aloft, with several reaching multi-year highs. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have recently raised their profit outlooks thanks to strong bookings.

Organizations: Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, U.S, Transportation Security Administration, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Airlines Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, New York

[1/8] Delayed travelers wait for air traffic to resume at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., June 30, 2023. The AAA estimates do not include Thursday, June 29, which the Federal Aviation Administration expects to be the busiest day of air travel during the holiday weekend. United Airlines (UAL.O) bore the brunt of the disruptions, with about 19% of its scheduled flights canceled and about 47% delayed. In a staff memo, he said over 150,000 United customers were affected last weekend because of FAA staffing issues and its impact on managing traffic. Still, the airline has said it would be "on track" to restore operations for the holiday weekend when it expects 5 million people to fly with it.

Persons: Ronald Reagan, Evelyn Hockstein NEW, Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, Scott Kirby, Doyinsola Oladipo, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Deepa Babington, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, REUTERS, AAA, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S . Transportation Security Administration, FAA, U.S ., United Airlines, Twitter, . Transportation, CNN, United, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, United States, Washington, U.S . East Coast, Chicago, FlightAware, New York

☆ The Fed’s favorite inflation gauge shows prices rose just 0.1% last month
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Minneapolis CNN —The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled off last month, and consumers reined in some spending as the economy slows, according to data released Friday by the Commerce Department. Personal spending ticked up by just 0.1%, a more moderate pace than April’s revised 0.6% growth rate. When adjusting for inflation, consumer spending was flat. Consumers refill the coffersThe data in recent months shows a gradual cooling in consumer spending, Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told CNN. “There were no fireworks within the Fed’s favorite inflation report today,” George Mateyo, chief investment officer for KeyBank, wrote in a statement.

Persons: Diane Swonk, ”, Gregory Daco, “ It’s, Friday’s, Abby Omodunbi, Janet Yellen, Yellen, ” Yellen, ” George Mateyo, KeyBank, Swonk, it’s, we’ve Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Commerce Department, CNN, “, PNC, Fed, Transportation Locations: Minneapolis, EY, New Orleans

☆ Canceled, delayed flights are likely over July 4 holiday weekend. What to know about your rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Over 2.8 million travelers are expected to pass through airport security checkpoints on Friday — a single-day record, according to the Transportation Security Administration. This comes as severe storms and staffing shortages have already derailed thousands of flights this week. Federal law doesn't require airlines to pay compensation to passengers for delays, Palmer said. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Airline Customer Service Dashboard outlines passenger rights for specific airlines. Even if a delay isn't their fault, many airlines will transfer your ticket to another airline's flight with available seats at no additional cost — if you ask, according to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

Persons: Andrew Bret Wallis, Pete Buttigieg, Kimberly Palmer, Palmer, Murray Organizations: DigitalVision, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, U.S, U.S . Department of Transportation's, PIRG

☆ Flight disruptions continue on peak July Fourth travel day, with United faring the worst
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Flight delays and cancellations continued to mar thousands of Fourth of July travelers on Friday, with United Airlines passengers bearing the brunt of the problems. United Airlines has fared the worst with disruptions, with half of its mainline flights arriving late during that six-day period amounting to average delays of 106 minutes, according to FlightAware data. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called United out for the flight disruptions, saying the airline's disruptions were "elevated but moving in the right direction." United said late Thursday that it expected cancellations and delays to continue to improve into the holiday weekend. "It led to massive delays, cancellations, diversions, as well as crews and aircraft out of position," Kirby wrote in a staff note, which was seen by CNBC.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, United, schedulers, Ken Diaz, Garth Thompson, Scott Kirby, Monday, Kirby, Joanna Geraghty Organizations: JFK International, Airlines, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation, United Airlines, O'Hare, U.S, JetBlue Airways, Transportation, Association of Flight, Air Line Pilots Association, United, FAA, Newark Liberty International, New, CNBC, JetBlue Locations: New York City, Canada, East, Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York, United, New Jersey

☆ Travel in America is a crasphoot, and it won't get better anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Passengers weave through JFK International airport on Friday, which is expected to be the busiest day for air travel since the start of the pandemic. Unfortunately, it’s not going to get better anytime soon. This summer, airfare is expected to remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, though a bit lower than their 2022 levels, according to travel research site Hopper. Demand for air travel roared back faster than airports and airlines could rehire staff. When demand for travel roared back faster than expected, the airlines couldn’t hire fast enough.

Persons: David Dee Delgado, it’s, Scott Olson, ” Biden, airfare, Hopper, Mario Tama Organizations: New, New York CNN, Transportation Security, JFK International, Biden, Amtrak, Jet, McKinsey Locations: New York, United States, Europe, Asia

New York CNN —Hundreds of thousands of US airline customers were stranded this week as severe weather grounded planes and led to canceled flights. As of 8:30 am ET, FlightAware tracking service reported there were 687 flights canceled and another 1,200 delays. Although that’s better than the 2,200 canceled flights in each of the last two days, or the more than 16,000 delayed flights between Monday and Tuesday, it’s hardly a smooth-running operation. Staffing shortageThe US air travel system is unable to recover quickly from widespread weather problems, because it doesn’t have the bodies to deal with the disruptions. The airline canceled 461 flights this past Saturday and Sunday and delayed another 1,972 flights, according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware.

Persons: that’s, it’s, Ed Bastian, ”, Scott Kirby, Kirby, ” Kirby, United, “, Paul Thacker, ” Thacker, “ ”, ” Michelle Maciel, Pete Muntean, Gregory Wallace Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Aviation, Airport, Transportation, Administration, FAA, Newark Airport, United, United Airlines, CNN, Newark Liberty International Airport, Association of Flight, DC, Greyhound Locations: New York, Boston, New York City, Madrid, United’s, Newark, Toronto, Denver, Portland Oregon

☆ Severe weather, FAA shortfalls kick off rocky start to summer air travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Flight disruptions mounted Tuesday as severe storms and staffing issues kicked off a rocky start to summer. Some airline executives have also blamed some of the disruptions on shortages of air traffic controllers. "And that put everyone behind the eight ball when weather actually did hit on Sunday and was further compounded by FAA staffing shortages Sunday evening." The Covid-19 pandemic derailed hiring and training of new air traffic controllers, and the agency is now trying to catch up. The Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General said in a report last week that air traffic control staffing shortfalls put air traffic operations at risk.

Persons: Biden, Scott Kirby, Kirby, General, Don Uselmann Organizations: Newark Liberty International Airport, Transportation Security Administration, United Airlines, FAA, Newark Liberty International, CNBC, Transportation's, reassignments, The Association of Flight, CWA, Union, JetBlue Airways, JetBlue Locations: New Jersey, United States, U.S, New York

☆ Consumers keep traveling despite recession fears and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Prices for airline tickets, for example, were down 0.9% in April from a year ago, according to the latest federal inflation read. A round-trip domestic flight is averaging $306 this summer, down 19% from last year, though still 6% higher than in 2019, according to travel site Hopper. Lodging also has been more expensive this year, even within the U.S. Hotel occupancy averaged 60.6% from January though April, with per-night average rates of $152.68, according to hotel data firm STR. That's up from 63% occupancy and average nightly rates of $130.05 during the same period in 2019, and up from 58.4% occupancy and average rates of $141 a night last year. Nightly hotel rates for Maui, Hawaii, have increased more than 53% since 2019 to $535.90, the biggest percentage increase in the U.S., according to STR.

Persons: Francesco Riccardo Iacomino, Jason Gaughan, Hopper Organizations: Deloitte, Transportation Security Administration, American Airlines, Bank of America, U.S Locations: U.S, Europe, Airfare, Maui, Hawaii, San Jose, Santa Cruz, California

☆ U.S. holiday air passenger travel tops 2019 pre-COVID levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. holiday air passenger travel topped 2019 pre-COVID levels over the Memorial Day weekend, which typically marks the start of the busy U.S. summer air travel season, figures from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) showed on Tuesday. The TSA said nearly 9.8 million passengers were screened or passed though security checks over the four-day weekend, about 300,000 more than over the same holiday period in 2019, the agency said on Tuesday. The agency said it screened 2.74 million passengers on Friday alone, the highest number in a single day since November 2019. Friday's traffic topped the recent high that had been set on Thursday and the entire weekend topped pre-COVID traffic levels. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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