The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced that only 1.2 percent of the 16.3 million flights scheduled last year were canceled, the lowest flight cancellation rate in at least a decade. Cancellations were nearly cut in half compared to 2022, when the rate was 2.3 percent. The massive decrease didn’t happen by accident. The USDOT has toughened its oversight of the airline industry, headlined by its $140 million fine against Southwest Airlines for the low-cost carrier’s December 2022 meltdown.
Southwest’s record-shattering fine was 30 times higher than any previous airline penalty. The carrier was also forced to hand out $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to passengers. The federal government strongly signaled that it was taking a more active role in protecting customers, and the airlines responded by providing more reliable service. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement:
“Thanks to the tireless work of our nation’s aviation safety professionals, millions of travelers were able to fly safely and without disruption last year. We are glad to see this 10-year low rate of cancellations, and our Department will continue to take every step to ensure air travel is smooth and safe for passengers in the new year.”
The last year has proven that airline customer service standards are only maintained by threats from the government. The bidding war for Spirit Airlines, eventually won by JetBlue, has shown that carriers are eager to buy their competition and make flying worse. JetBlue’s own internal analysis found that its ticket prices would rise by 30 percent if it merged with Spirit. The merger’s antitrust trial has concluded, but a decision has yet to be made.
Federal governance over commercial aviation hasn’t been perfect. There’s still a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, and horrendous working conditions aren’t making the position attractive to the general public. The Boeing 737 Max is yet again proving to be a headache for regulators. The airliner had a door plug blow free at 16,000 feet, just a month after a nut was discovered missing on a rudder control linkage on two 737 Max aircraft.