Airline CEOs Meet With U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy As Consumer Protections Face Rollback
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will meet with airline CEOs today to discuss the future of air traffic control and consumer protections. Will we soon see Biden-era consumer protections for airline consumers gutted?
Transportation Secretary Duffy Meets With Airline CEOs On ATC Upgrades And Consumer Protections
Last week I wrote about the push by Airlines 4 America, the lobbying arm of the US airline industry, to gut consumer protections that were added during the prior administration (and even earlier), including:
| Current Rule | Proposed Change |
|---|---|
| Airlines must report on-time performance, mishandled baggage, wheelchairs, complaints, and cancellations via DOT consumer reports. | Airlines want to scrap public reporting requirements, effectively self-police their performance with no public accountability. |
| Passengers are guaranteed refunds, compensation, and rebooking support for delays and cancellations per recent 2025 protections (e.g., legal definition of significant delay, live service). | Airlines propose rolling back protections, including timely refunds, rerouting obligations, and transparency around delays and cancellations. |
| Airlines must disclose all fees (checked bags, carry-on, seat selection, change fees) clearly at booking. | Airlines want to remove these disclosure requirements, making it harder for consumers to compare true prices. |
| Family seating protections require airlines to seat parents with children under 13 at no extra cost. | Airlines propose eliminating this mandate, leaving families subject to extra fees to sit together. |
| All-in pricing rules require airlines to show the full fare—including taxes and mandatory fees—upfront. | Airlines want to return to base fare advertising, burying taxes and fees until the final step of booking. |
| DOT is reviewing economy class seat sizes to ensure minimum standards for health and safety. | Airlines want to end government oversight of seat pitch and width, keeping authority to shrink seats further. |
> Read More: US Airlines Push Trump To Kill Passenger Rights: Refunds, Family Seating, And Fee Transparency On The Line
Today, Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Duffy will meet with airline CEOs at the headquarters of Airlines 4 Americas in Washington, DC. The primary topic of discussion will be modernizing the air traffic control (ATC) system. Duffy is seeking an additional $19 billion allocation from Congress to fast-track upgrades of the nation’s aging ATC infrastructure after several mishaps this year, including a crash of a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over Washington National Airport (DCA).
Duffy will also discuss regulatory reforms under consideration by his department. Last week, the Trump administration dropped a proposed rule to require airlines to pay European/British/Canadian-style cash compensation for delays and cancellations within its control. But airlines want more, including the items noted in the table above.
Already, the Department of Transportation said that it is considering dropping regulations that require airlines (and online travel agencies) to disclose service fees net to airfare.
CONCLUSION
Transportation Secretary Duffy will meet with airline CEOs and lobbyists in Washington, DC, today to discuss ATC upgrades and consumer protection reforms.
I find myself heartened by the investment in air traffic control, a long-overdue infrastructure component that prior administrations have not properly prioritized. On the other hand, I find the idea of consumer protections on the chopping block to be nothing but a dereliction of duty. I’ll provide an update after the meeting.