The federal inquiry will cover topics on airline mergers, aircraft manufacturing, pricing, aviation labor and more.
Aircraft movements at New York LaGuardia Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice jointly announced a broad public inquiry into the state of competition in air travel on Thursday, according to a DOT news release.
The agencies are surveying the public via a Request for Information (RFI) on consolidation, anticompetitive conduct and other issues affecting the availability and affordability of air travel options. The public will have until Dec. 23 to submit comments, which will be posted to Regulations.gov.
The DOT release stated that the RFI covers topics on previous airline mergers, exclusionary conduct, airport access, aircraft manufacturing, airline ticket sales, pricing, rewards practices and the experiences of aviation workers. All market participants from passengers to airlines and ground crews are invited to provide comments for the RFI.
“Americans count on air travel to visit loved ones, explore their country, and get business done,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the release. “Good service and fair prices depend on ensuring that there is real competition, which is especially challenging for the many American communities that have lost service amid airline consolidation. Our goal with this inquiry is to identify and remove barriers to competition so that more Americans can access the opportunities that come with good, affordable air service.”
In September, the DOT launched a separate, similar inquiry focusing on rewards programs offered by American, Delta, Southwest and United.
In August, the DOT proposed a new rule prohibiting airlines from charging extra fees to seat families together on flights. The DOT also enacted rules mandating airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for significantly delayed or canceled flights in April.
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