In preparation for last year’s Fourth of July holiday, the Transportation Department (DOT) took action to address the issue of numerous flight cancellations that had been causing distress for passengers.
The DOT, specifically its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), worked closely with airlines to mitigate the problem. However, as this year’s Independence Day approaches, the FAA finds itself facing criticism for its role in the chaos that has unfolded in the skies.
Despite ongoing efforts to address a shortage of air traffic controllers, which has persisted for over three years since the onset of the pandemic, the agency’s attempts to alleviate congestion fell short. The FAA encouraged airlines to reduce flight volumes as a temporary solution, but the strategy proved insufficient in the face of severe summer storms that led to the cancellation and delay of thousands of flights this week.