{"id":74529,"date":"2024-11-12T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T05:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=74529"},"modified":"2024-11-12T11:00:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T05:30:27","slug":"delta-ceo-positive-with-donald-trump-presidency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/12\/delta-ceo-positive-with-donald-trump-presidency\/","title":{"rendered":"Delta Air Lines Sees Positive Impact in Donald Trump Presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ATLANTA-<\/strong> Delta Air Lines (DL)<\/a> CEO Ed Bastian stated that former President Donald Trump was instrumental in supporting the airline during his first term, expressing optimism that Trump\u2019s return to the White House could bring further benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe worked well with President Trump during his first term,\u201d Bastian told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Delta
Photo: Delta Air Lines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Delta CEO Likes Trump Presidency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leading Delta since 2016, Bastian credited Trump with aiding Delta’s stance against Middle Eastern airlines, which Delta claims benefit from government subsidies, creating unfair competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He was a strong supporter of U.S. airlines and U.S. jobs,” Bastian said, adding that Trump\u2019s familiarity with the aviation industry could again favor Delta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Trump\u2019s recent election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, business leaders are evaluating potential impacts on regulatory policies in their sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delta, with a major hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, could see advantages from Trump\u2019s hands-on approach. Bastian noted Trump\u2019s longtime connection with LaGuardia, stating, “He’s had a plane there for years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Bastian\u2019s relationship with Trump has had occasional friction. Trump reportedly expressed frustration when Bastian missed an Oval Office meeting with airline CEOs in 2019. Bastian had also criticized Trump\u2019s stance on the Mexican border wall in 2017. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on Trump\u2019s policies, Bastian remarked, “The platform he ran on aimed to unlock business potential by assessing regulatory efficiency, easing bureaucracy, and reducing burdens.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo: By The White House – https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2021\/01\/20\/inaugural-address-by-president-joseph-r-biden-jr\/, CC BY 3.0 us, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=99170775<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Critic of the Biden Administration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has voiced criticisms of the Biden administration’s regulatory actions, particularly in response to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s handling of recent flight cancellations linked to the CrowdStrike outage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2024, Bastian expressed frustration with Buttigieg\u2019s Department of Transportation (DOT), which classified the widespread flight disruptions caused by Delta\u2019s operational meltdown as \u201ccontrollable.\u201d This designation required Delta and other airlines to bear costs for meals and transportation for stranded passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to industry reports, Bastian said, \u201cI got pretty annoyed with our secretary of Transportation.\u201d These comments appeared on thriftytraveler.com but were later removed, as Bastian\u2019s remarks were made at a private event not intended for media coverage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delta\u2019s thousands of cancellations during and after the outage had sparked the DOT\u2019s consumer-protection response, which Bastian found overly burdensome on the airline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll that was just insane. \u2026 Technology providers knock us out, and then it’s our fault?\u201d Bastian remarked, as cited in industry reports. He expressed frustration with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg\u2019s approach, suggesting it aimed more at political visibility than consumer fairness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou’ve got politicians running some Cabinet offices\u2026 to make inroads and get name recognition,\u201d Bastian said, indicating his displeasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bastian recounted a \u201cprivate conversation\u201d he had with Buttigieg, following the Department of Transportation\u2019s (DOT) classification of Delta\u2019s outage-related cancellations as \u201ccontrollable.\u201d This ruling forced Delta to cover passenger costs for meals and transportation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buttigieg, in turn, criticized Delta on social media, saying the DOT had received \u201chundreds of complaints\u201d regarding Delta\u2019s disruptions and customer service issues. He posted a video reading angry tweets directed at Delta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also Read American, Delta, United Airlines Consumes 3% of Global Fuel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Delta
Photo: Trump White House Archived<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Change is Expected in Policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on Trump\u2019s recent election victory, Bastian acknowledged Delta\u2019s frequent interactions with agencies like the DOT and FAA, noting that he sometimes questions the political motivations behind their decisions. He anticipates a shift under Trump\u2019s administration that will allow Delta and other airlines to \u201cquestion some of the overreach\u201d seen in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gregory Speier, a transportation attorney with Reed Smith, echoed this sentiment, predicting that a Trump-appointed secretary of transportation may reverse some of the Biden administration\u2019s consumer protection policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transportation attorney Gregory Speier highlighted that recent regulations introduced by Biden\u2019s Department of Transportation (DOT) were heavily publicized to benefit passengers but added substantial operational burdens for U.S. carriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a written analysis, Speier indicated that the incoming Trump administration or a Republican-led Congress could ease these burdens by rolling back certain emission standards for airlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"JetBlue
Photo: Live and Lets Fly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He also expects a Trump-led Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow mergers like the previously blocked Spirit (NK)-JetBlue (B6) merger<\/a>, potentially creating new merger and acquisition opportunities in the aviation sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speier anticipates that Trump\u2019s policies would favor airline profitability, marking a shift from the current administration\u2019s consumer protection and climate-focused initiatives. Following Trump\u2019s election, airline industry organizations expressed optimism about collaborating with the new administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airlines for America issued a statement emphasizing the goal of advancing \u201cpolicy priorities that will benefit American consumers, commerce, and the economy.\u201d Additionally, the Air Line Pilots Association pledged to work with the president-elect and Congress to \u201ccontinue our country\u2019s important efforts to keep flying safe and advance the piloting profession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Delta, American and United: Why The Big US Carriers Are Flocking To Italy<\/a><\/blockquote>