Air travel chaos plagued Pete Buttigieg’s tenure as Transportation Secretary, with outdated systems and staffing shortages ignored in favor of a DEI obsession.
The New York Post reported that federal records reveal his the Department of Transportation dumped over $80 billion into diversity, equity, and inclusion grants, sidelining critical air traffic control upgrades. This misstep left travelers stranded and skies less safe.
From 2021 to 2025, Buttigieg’s DOT spent half its typical annual budget on DEI, approving 400 grants compared to just 60 under the prior administration.
Meanwhile, the air traffic control system, unchanged since the Carter era, creaked under pressure, contributing to flight delays and a rare nationwide grounding in January 2023. The focus on progressive priorities over practical fixes raised eyebrows across the industry.
Flight delays and cancellations became a grim routine, with only 80% of flights on time during Buttigieg’s term. Weather caused 54.3% of cancellations, air carriers 34.7%, and national aviation system failures 10.6%, per federal data. Delays stemmed from air carriers (7%), late aircraft (7%), system issues (5%), and weather (under 1%).
Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law allocated $5 billion for air traffic facilities, yet Buttigieg failed to modernize the FAA’s ancient systems.
Industry insiders noted his reluctance to admit staffing shortages, with the FAA operating at just 80% of its target for certified controllers since 2017. One official quipped, “He was definitely pushing an agenda,” and it wasn’t about safer skies.
“And so why would that be in his interest?” Buttigieg reportedly mused about upgrading systems to let airlines fly more planes. His words suggest a baffling disconnect from the public’s need for reliable air travel. The obsession with DEI grants over aviation infrastructure left many questioning his priorities.
In April 2024, industry leaders warned it could take 90 years to fully staff New York’s air traffic control centers at the current hiring pace.
The FAA’s understaffing, a problem predating Buttigieg, worsened under his watch. Travelers paid the price with cascading delays often mislabeled as airlines’ fault.
“If you start with a thunderstorm early in the day, it ripples throughout,” an industry official explained, noting how delays get pinned on carriers. This sleight of hand obscured the DOT’s failure to address systemic issues. Buttigieg’s team seemed more focused on optics than solutions.
Chris Meagher, Buttigieg’s spokesman, insisted, “Suggesting that Secretary Buttigieg chose not to pursue air traffic control modernization is absurd.” Yet the facts—$80 billion on DEI versus a stagnant FAA—tell a different story. Meagher’s claim feels like a dodge when runways stayed gridlocked.
Meagher added, “You can walk and chew gum at the same time.” Nice try, but pouring billions into DEI while air traffic control crumbled suggests otherwise. The DOT’s budget was stretched thin, and travelers felt the pinch.
Buttigieg’s DOT did secure $4 billion in consumer refunds after complaints and pushed a rule for up to $1,000 in compensation for delays, enacted just before the election.
These wins, touted by Meagher as protecting passengers, rang hollow against the backdrop of systemic failures. Refunds don’t fix a broken system.
“Secretary Buttigieg’s focus was always on safety,” Meagher claimed, citing efforts on roads and bridges. But David Grizzle, former FAA chief counsel, noted, “There certainly were no remarkable achievements in aviation during his term.” Safety rhetoric didn’t match the reality of outdated systems and understaffed towers.
Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law included a $5 billion DEI-driven push for 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, yet only seven were built by June 2024. This misfire mirrored Buttigieg’s aviation record: big promises, scant results. The progressive agenda seemed to trump practical outcomes.
Polls showed Buttigieg eyeing a 2028 presidential run, with an Emerson College survey giving him 16% support among Democrats, edging out Kamala Harris at 13%.
An Echelon Insights poll, however, had him trailing Harris by 15 points. His DEI focus might have been a political play, but it left aviation in the lurch.
President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, passed this month, allocated $12.5 billion for new Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to overhaul FAA systems. Grizzle noted Duffy’s attentiveness contrasts with Buttigieg’s tenure, where “the shortfall in budget…really began in the [2010s].” A new era for aviation may finally be on the horizon.
