As the US administration of the US President Trump nears six months in office, the policy effects on airlines seem mixed. The tariff tizzy created by the president has affected US domestic demand, and inbound international travel.
Yet at the same time, the expected lighter regulatory touch did materialise after the Department of Transportation dropped a Biden-era lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, and the agency does not appear to be prioritising other regulations introduced by the former Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg.
But perhaps the current administration’s greatest aspiration are its plans to introduce significant upgrades to the US’ air traffic control system – a scheme whose success is far from certain.