White House Official Promises Aviation Industry Scrutiny After Flight Troubles

Deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair announced he will focus greater attention on the airline industry following frustrating travel experiences. Blair and his wife encountered separate problems with American Airlines flights this week, prompting his public criticism.

A high-ranking White House official announced Thursday he plans to closely examine the aviation industry following troublesome experiences he and his wife had with American Airlines flights.

Deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair expressed his frustration on social media platform X, describing how American Airlines caused him a 2.5-hour delay due to staff failing to detect empty hydraulic fluid before his aircraft reached the runway. His wife faced a different problem when the airline apparently neglected to schedule a pilot for her flight.

“I’m going to take a new interest in the airline industry,” Blair stated in his post.

Neither the White House nor American Airlines provided immediate responses to requests for comment.

The carrier has faced increased criticism following its handling of a major winter storm in late January that resulted in extensive flight cancellations and highlighted weaknesses in the airline’s recovery procedures.

According to information from aviation analytics company OAG, American Airlines performed worse than major competitors in January. The carrier ranked behind Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines for punctuality while recording the highest rate of canceled flights among these carriers.

The Trump administration has been rolling back several aviation consumer protection measures that were introduced during the Biden presidency.

This past December, the Transportation Department decided to eliminate certain airline penalties that had been imposed under the previous administration. This included canceling $16.7 million in fines levied against American Airlines in 2024 as part of an agreement addressing how the company treated passengers with disabilities.

The department also forgave the outstanding $11 million portion of Southwest Airlines’ penalty, which was part of a $140 million resolution concerning operational failures that left over 2 million travelers stranded during the December 2022 holiday season.

In November, transportation officials withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have mandated airlines provide cash payments to passengers when flight disruptions were the carrier’s fault.

Most recently, the Transportation Department has suggested revising its enforcement approach to reduce emphasis on imposing financial penalties against airlines that breach consumer protection regulations, moving away from the stricter enforcement policies established during the Biden years.