Delta CEO says Trump administration's regulatory approach could be a 'breath of fresh air'

　　Delta Air Lines

　　CEO Ed Bastian says the Trump administration's approach to regulation could be "a breath of fresh air."

　　President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign that he would "re-examine" regulation and bureaucracy, Bastian told reporters ahead of Delta's investor day.

　　The Transportation Department, under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has issued a series of rules aimed at protecting consumers, some of which have sparked a backlash from the airline industry, including one this year that requires airlines to automatically give passengers cash refunds when they cancel flights.

　　Bastian said the industry has seen "a degree of over-expansion" over the past four years.

　　The department is also investigating airlines' lucrative loyalty programs, which have generated billions of dollars in revenue for airlines and helped them stay afloat. The current leadership of the Transportation Department is seeking information about how airlines unilaterally changed the value of frequent flyer points. The Transportation Department is investigating Delta's handling of the July CrowdStrike incident

　　The airline canceled thousands of flights during the shutdown and has had a difficult road to recovery compared with its competitors.

　　When asked about Bastien’s comments at a pre-Thanksgiving news conference on Thursday, outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg fired back, saying the department was investigating Delta because it had received a large number of passenger complaints during a period of mass flight cancellations.

　　“If I were an airline CEO, a quick check of my personal finances would prove that this was not the case, and I would be spending more time taking care of my passengers and less time on regulators,” Buttigieg said.

　　Delta said Wednesday it expects sales and profits to grow in the months and years ahead, noting strong consumer demand and a significant increase in household wealth since the outbreak.

　　Trump named former U.S. congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy to head the department. Duffy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

　　Buttigieg declined to comment on what he thought the new administration would do, but said consumer protections for airline passengers were welcome.

　　Other U.S. airline CEOs have also expressed enthusiasm for the new Trump administration, urging incoming officials to ensure the industry has enough resources to improve air traffic control and other critical infrastructure under the Federal Aviation Administration.

　　“We have to invest in this industry,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said last week at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas. He said there is more work to be done in the future to approve more visas so people can visit the U.S.

　　In an interview last week, Sun Country Airlines CEO Jude Bricker said: “We just need stability and resources from the Department of Transportation.”

　　Industry insiders and analysts also expect the new administration to be more open to mergers and consolidation.

　　Alaska Airlines

　　This year, JetBlue Airways acquired Hawaiian Airlines without opposition from the Biden administration. However, Biden’s Justice Department won court challenges to block two airline deals: JetBlue’s proposed acquisition of Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday.

　　And the partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines

　　The package was approved in the final days of Trump’s first administration.

　　“Maybe this administration will take a different stance,” Sun Country’s Bricker said. “It’s certainly not possible to oppose it anymore.”

　　The current Department of Transportation had no immediate comment.

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