Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Elizabeth Hurley</a> had some strong words for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel">British Airways</a> after being allegedly stranded at an airport for more than 20 hours following a flight delay.
The 57-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-k">British</a> star took to Twitter to vent her frustrations over the lack of communication from the airline. She had been traveling from Antigua and got stuck there Monday.
&#8220;Stranded at Antigua airport with no food or water, taxis or hotels offered yet. Plane delayed 20 hours,&#8221; Hurley <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethHurley/status/1605107499006320640">shared</a> with more than 600,000 followers.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/British_Airways?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@British_Airways</a> Stranded at Antigua airport with no food or water, taxis or hotels offered yet. Plane delayed 20 hours.
&mdash; Elizabeth Hurley (@ElizabethHurley) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethHurley/status/1605107499006320640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Still stranded- no food, water or hotel. Pretty dodgy service,&#8221; she wrote in an update an hour later.
“Still nothing from [British Airways],” the “Austin Powers” star posted in a third update. “Extraordinary service! Finally, managed to find a taxi ourselves to escape airport after more than 12 hours with no food or water #avoidflying.”
British Airways replied to the actress by saying, &#8220;We’re experiencing delays to some of our flights due to a technical issue with our flight planning. We&#8217;re sorry for the disruption to your journey, we’re urgently investigating this so that you travel as soon as possible.&#8221;
A rep from the airline also invited Hurley to DM them so they could look into her situation specifically.
This response drew ire from other Twitter users who said the actress was getting special treatment because she was a celebrity. 
“You left my 21 year old daughter stranded in Madrid airport on a Saturday night back in August, did nothing for her and haven’t responded to her compensation claim, yet when someone with some clout kicks off you can’t respond quick enough,” someone <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizabethHurley/status/1605169333914804224">retorted</a>.
“Love the way British airways reply immediately when someone famous posts about a delay, yet when it happens to a non celeb it takes 80 hours to respond. British airways congrats. You know you can automate replies so you could at least seem sincere,” another person agreed.
The airline shared an update on the flight delays on Tuesday.
&#8220;Our teams have now resolved a temporary issue that affected some of our long-haul flight planning systems overnight, which resulted in delays to our schedule,&#8221; the airline said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/elizabeth-hurley-vents-fury-british-airways-stranded-no-food-water-12-hours">statement</a> shared with FOX Business.
They also apologized for the &#8220;disruption caused to our customers&#8217; travel plans.”

William P. Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley light The Empire State Building pink in honor of The Est√©e Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign’s 30th Anniversary

Elizabeth Hurley Blasts British Airways During Extended Delay With ‘No Food Or Water’

Elizabeth Hurley Blasts British Airways During Extended Delay With 'No Food Or Water'

Air Travel

Airlines

Celebrities

Entertainment

U.K.

World

Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Luke Rosiak appeared on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fox-news">‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’</a> Monday evening to share a story he broke for the Daily Wire about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jetblue-wont-hire-the-unvaxxed-but-hired-violent-felon-to-fly-planes">bizarre hiring practices at JetBlue</a>.
The show began by assessing the widespread mass protests across China against the regime of Xi Jinping and his repressive ‘Zero COVID’ policies, which appear to be the largest internal outcry against the Chinese Communist Party in decades. The program also condemned several U.S. public officials and various corporate entities and prominent citizens, such as John Kirby of the National Security Council, the NBA and reporter Taylor Lorenz.
Carlson claimed that greed or complicity had caused them to stay silent on China’s crackdown against its own citizens, noting that some of them had advocated for the kind of COVID policy that Xi had put into practice and a few had even praised the authoritarian regime for its approach to the pandemic.
Carlson later brought on Rosiak to discuss the case of John Perrys, a convicted felon and reported employee of JetBlue who in 2005 broke into a judge’s home and assaulted his daughter as she came out of the shower. Perrys was released in 2014 and according to the <a href="http://www.dc.state.fl.us/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&amp;DCNumber=A50372&amp;TypeSearch=AO">Florida Department of Corrections</a>, he will be on felony probation until 2044.
Perrys&#8217; hiring has caused controversy because his employer is unwilling to hire pilots who have not been vaccinated against COVID in the name of ‘safety.’
“Apparently JetBlue won’t hire unvaccinated pilots, but they will hire violent convicted felons to fly their airplanes,” one pilot said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Roughly a year ago JetBlue implemented a company-wide vaccine mandate, arguing in public that as a federal contractor they were required to do so by a Biden Administration rule. The relevant rule, however, has been delayed, then blocked by an injunction which was only lifted last month, and even now is <a href="https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/">not actively being enforced</a>.
Rosiak and Carlson both lambasted the mandate and characterized it as incoherent and counter productive, since new data indicates that a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-vaccinated-now-make-up-majority-of-covid-deaths">majority of people currently dying from COVID-19 are vaccinated.</a>
“They won’t hire you if you haven&#8217;t had the vaxx, but they did hire John Perrys,” Rosiak noted, “And interestingly enough, I thought you would get a kick out of this, the crime he was convicted of was assault with a deadly weapon while wearing a mask.”

2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards

‘Is This A Real Story?’: Tucker Carlson Flabbergasted By JetBlue’s Felon Pilot

Tucker Carlson Flabbergasted By JetBlue's Felon Pilot

COVID-19

JetBlue

Tucker Carlson

U.S.

Vaccine Mandate

Thanksgiving travelers experienced thousands of flight delays and hundreds of cancellations over the holiday weekend amid severe weather storms sweeping across the mid-Atlantic region.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today">reported</a> nearly 7,000 flights faced delays, and almost 200 others were canceled on Sunday, flying within, into, or out of the United States.
Airlines on Saturday experienced at least 4,400 flights delayed and nearly 100 canceled.
Passengers flying out of New York City&#8217;s tri-state area saw the brunt of the disruptions after a storm system shifted north of the Mississippi River Valley Sunday into the Northeast, which brought heavy rains and gusty winds, according to the National Weather Station.
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[Sunday 1230 PM] Rain is beginning to fall across western portions of the area, and will expand to the rest of the region over the next couple of hours.
Locally heavy downpours are possible into this evening, with total expected rainfall between 0.75&quot; to 1.00&quot;. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NJwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NJwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CTwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CTwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/1QeGCltajH">pic.twitter.com/1QeGCltajH</a>
&mdash; NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSNewYorkNY/status/1596919164022579201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We can&#8217;t stress this enough — plan ahead and arrive early,&#8221; New York City&#8217;s John F. Kennedy International Airport tweeted on Sunday. &#8220;Budget extra travel time to arrive at JFK Airport, park in your reserved spot, check in, and get through security.&#8221;
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We can’t stress this enough &#8211; plan ahead and arrive early
Budget extra travel time to arrive at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JFK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JFK</a> Airport, park in your reserved spot, check in, and get through security. <a href="https://t.co/WuI4PYbOgw">pic.twitter.com/WuI4PYbOgw</a>
&mdash; John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKairport/status/1596760846075850752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Newark Liberty International Airport warned passengers of high-volume travel impacting flight schedules.
“Due to the increased number of travelers during the holiday, allow extra time for travel, check-in and security,” the airport&#8217;s official account posted on Twitter.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EWR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EWR</a> Due to the increased number of travelers during the holiday, allow extra time for travel, check-in and security.
&mdash; Newark Liberty International Airport (@EWRairport) <a href="https://twitter.com/EWRairport/status/1596828473858748416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/3751970-thousands-of-post-thanksgiving-flights-delayed-amid-messy-weather/">reports</a> Washington, D.C. airports canceled four flights, and another 115 were delayed. Republic Airways delayed 227 flights, PSA Airlines delayed 125, and Frontier delayed 110.
National travel-related service <a href="https://autoclubsouth.aaa.com/about/aboutaaa.aspx">AAA</a> estimated air travel increased by nearly 8% since 2021, with 4.5 million Americans flying to their Thanksgiving destinations this year &#8211; an increase of more than 330,000 travelers.
According to <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/severe-weather-to-threaten-30-million-from-texas-to-illinois-indiana/1376744">AccuWeather</a>, weather conditions are expected to continue travel delays throughout the Midwest and Northeast portions beginning on Tuesday.

Winter Storm Causes Delays For Thanksgiving Holiday Travelers

Stormy Weather Delays Thousands Of Post-Thanksgiving Flights, Hundreds Canceled

Thousands Of Post-Thanksgiving Flights Delayed, Hundreds Canceled 

Air and Space

Thanksgiving

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/friday-afternoon-update-11-25-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Airline Travel Returns To Pre-Pandemic Levels, Still Below Record
If you’ve been traveling for Thanksgiving this week, you know that airline travel is back to pre-pandemic levels — but hasn’t quite hit 2019’s record of 2.9 million travelers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The TSA is expecting to screen 2.5 million passengers a day across U.S. airports on the busiest days this week. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg celebrated the numbers.
&#8220;We are delighted that demand is returning like nobody thought possible with more and more passengers having the desire and the income to return to the skies,&#8221; Buttigieg <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE58XuzIBfc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Mask Mandates Imminent? 
The Department of Health and Human Services is again <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-report-suggests-going-back-to-masks-social-distancing-because-of-long-covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that the American public should partake in masking and social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID and guard against “Long COVID.”
The new report, sponsored by HHS and conducted by research agency Coforma, suggested that these policies should be either strongly encouraged or even mandated while calling for expanded government programs that offer financial support and benefits for COVID victims.
Home Purchases Decreasing
Rising interest rates and high home prices <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/investor-home-purchases-6831856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have led</a> to a 30% drop in home purchases by investors in the third quarter.
The reduction means fewer homes being built or restored for future buyers. Home purchases by investors fell from 94,000 in the same quarter last year to 66,000 this year. Also driving the trend is the slowing of rent growth from 13% to just 10%.
EU Sends More Money To Ukraine
As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault rages on, the European Union <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-receives-25-billion-euros-assistance-eu-2022-11-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent Ukraine another $2.5 billion in assistance</a> on Tuesday. The EU is expected to approve another $18 billion in 2023. So far, the EU has sent $6.7 billion total to Ukraine for a variety of necessities and supplies.
Bye-Bye, Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s final White House press conference went sideways this week after a reporter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-surprise-faucis-final-message-is-a-lecture-on-masks-getting-the-latest-booster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> a question about what Fauci has done to investigate the origins of COVID. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shut down the question.
&#8220;We have a process here,&#8221; Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karine-jean-pierre-loses-control-of-briefing-room-and-herself-as-journalists-balk-at-her-skipping-conservative-reporter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scolded</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m not calling out on people who yell. And you&#8217;re being … disrespectful to your colleagues, and you&#8217;re being disrespectful to our guest. I will not call on you if you yell, and also you&#8217;re taking time off the clock because Dr. Fauci has to leave in a couple of minutes.”
“Avatar” Sequel Coming Soon
The much-anticipated sequel to the 2009 box office hit “Avatar” is due to <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/avatar-2-may-be-the-most-expensive-movie-of-all-time-1993407/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> December 16 and is projected to be one of, if not the most, expensive film ever produced. Director James Cameron has declined to state just how expensive the film’s budget was, but reports suggest that the production budget alone was $250 million.
Big College Football Weekend
And, in some sports news, the final weekend of the college football regular season promises some big rivalry matchups, including the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-vs-ohio-state-coach-schembechlers-final-speech-still-rings-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes versus the third-ranked Michigan Wolverines</a>, and the seventh-ranked USC Trojans versus the 18th-ranked Fighting Irish. And, of course, my underrated Florida State Seminoles are facing off against the Florida Gators Friday evening.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Friday

Friday Afternoon Update: Feds Suggest Mask Mandates, Home Purchases Drop, Fauci Dodges The Press

Friday Afternoon Update: Mask Mandates Coming?, Home Purchases Drop, Fauci Dodges The Press

Anthony Fauci

College Football

Europe

General

Housing

Mask Mandate

Morning Wire

Movies

Podcast

Millions of Americans preparing to travel during the holiday season will experience record prices for <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airline</a> tickets. Some Americans forced to depart from their local airports, however, will contend with particularly hefty <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">costs</a>, while others will deal with higher numbers of flight cancellations.
The price of airfare has increased nearly 43% year-over-year, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUSR0000SETG01#0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An <a href="https://smartasset.com/data-studies/airfare-price-increases-november-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from SmartAsset found that prices surged most at Pensacola International Airport in Florida, where travelers paid $462 per ticket in the second quarter of 2022, marking an increase of more than 51% since the same time last year.
SmartAsset compared the nation’s 100 busiest airports with respect to average airfare cost, one-year percentage changes in airfare cost, and one-year dollar changes in airfare cost. Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington, each with year-over-year price increases of more than 40%, took second and third place respectively.
Following the three aforementioned locations with respect to overall cost increases are Los Angeles International Airport in California, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama, Spokane International Airport in Washington, Tucson International Airport in Arizona, Boise Air Terminal in Idaho, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan.
Beyond the issue of rising costs, there are a number of airports which Americans should generally avoid due to high degrees of travel complications, according to a <a href="https://www.insuremytrip.com/travel-advice/travel-planning/worst-airports-for-holiday-travel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from InsureMyTrip. Considering factors such as system delays and late aircraft arrivals, the company found that Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey are among the least reliable, while Chicago Midway International Airport in Illinois and BWI Marshall Airport in Maryland are the most reliable.
The national average airfare during the second quarter was $397, marking the highest level in eight years. Industry pressures such as pilot shortages have impacted affordability; the air travel sector will lack 12,000 pilots by next year, even as 14,000 pilots will be forced to leave the workforce over the next five years because of a federal law mandating that airline pilots retire by 65 years old, according to a <a href="https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2021/mar/after-covid-19-aviation-faces-a-pilot-shortage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> by consulting group Oliver Wyman.
Legislation proposed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-introduce-bill-with-key-reform-to-stop-flight-cancellations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise</a> the commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 in order to ease staffing pressures. “Following the heavy-handed stupidity of government lockdowns, travel demand has naturally skyrocketed. However, Americans are now experiencing flight delays and cancellations on an unacceptable scale due to a worsening pilot shortage,” Roy asserted. “A key factor is a government-mandated retirement age that forces out thousands of our most qualified pilots every year.”
As the number of passengers plummeted two years ago due to the lockdown-induced recession, several airlines offered early retirement packages to their employees. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-slams-airlines-for-flight-cancellations-but-rejects-key-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stressed</a> the need to support high school and college training programs in order to catalyze the entrance of new pilots into the workforce.
Some companies have meanwhile introduced new incentives and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-airlines-desperate-for-pilots-consider-cutting-training-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased training requirements</a> in response to the pilot shortage. Delta Air Lines introduced signing bonuses and pay hikes while removing the requirement for the completion of a bachelor’s degree.

Here Are The Airports You Might Want To Avoid During The Holiday Season

Costs And Unreliability Slam Certain Airlines Ahead Of Holidays

Economy

Inflation

Airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights as Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall in Florida on Thursday.
Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each canceled over 100 flights, with United Airlines canceling 73 trips, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flightaware.com</a>. The updates add to nearly 990 canceled flights on Wednesday.
The cancellations add to additional concerns with airport closures in Florida due to inclement weather. Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Palm Beach have all temporarily closed their international airports. Miami International Airport remains open, though many flights have been changed due to the storm.
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Nov 9/11:07 am &#8211; At this time, all flights in and out of PBI are cancelled. Please check with your airline for rebooking details. Stay safe. <a href="https://t.co/AIFrpa4lh3">pic.twitter.com/AIFrpa4lh3</a>
&mdash; Palm Beach International Airport (@flyPBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/flyPBI/status/1590375630356430849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Orlando International Airport, the state’s busiest, also announced on social media that it had shut down operations beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday due to expected weather concerns.
Nicole made landfall early Thursday as a hurricane around 3:00 a.m. ET north of Miami., with winds reaching 75 miles per hour, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the National Hurricane Center. A reported 215,000 homes and businesses were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hurricane-nicole-barrels-into-floridas-atlantic-coast-2022-11-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">without power</a> on Florida&#8217;s east coast Thursday morning.
The storm is moving northwest over the central part of Florida. Nicole is expected to continue north as it weakens upon entering Georgia and the Carolinas.
Nearly 3-4 inches of rain quickly fell throughout Central Florida as the tropical storm continued moving inland. Winds have gusted 70 miles per hour or more on Florida&#8217;s Atlantic coast, including in Playalinda Beach, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne, and Daytona Beach, <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2022-11-10-hurricane-tropical-storm-nicole-landfall-forecast-florida-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Weather Channel. Gusts of more than 60 miles per hour have also been recorded as far away as Orlando and St. Petersburg.
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Nearly 3-4&quot; of rainfall and counting as Tropical Storm Nicole moves through Central Florida. <a href="https://t.co/KH3iPApRM5">pic.twitter.com/KH3iPApRM5</a>
&mdash; Kellianne Klass WESH (@KellianneWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellianneWX/status/1590685769395752965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Tropical Storm Nicole has also led to a tornado watch issued for Flagler County in Florida that extends until 1 p.m. local time on Thursday.
Several emergency shelters have been opened throughout Florida. The Florida Governor&#8217;s Office <a href="https://www.flgov.com/2022/11/09/governor-ron-desantis-gives-updates-on-preparation-efforts-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Thursday that 16,000 linemen are staged to respond to power outages, along with an additional 600 guardsmen activated and seven search and rescue teams.
Florida&#8217;s State of Emergency has also been expanded to include 45 counties ahead of potential storm damage. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the initial executive order declaring a State of Emergency on Monday.
Many residents across Florida are still <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuations-announced-in-south-florida-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recovering</a> from Hurricane Ian, which struck the Gulf Coast at the end of September. The storm devastated Fort Myers Beach, demolishing the pier. The causeway to Sanibel Island was also destroyed.
Ian moved across the state and up the eastern side of Florida, where it returned to hurricane strength and slammed into the Carolina coast. More than 100 people were killed in Florida and North Carolina during the hurricane.

Nicole

Over 1,200 Flights Canceled As Tropical Storm Nicole Hits Florida

Delta Airlines

Florida

Severe Weather

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Americans <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel">traveling</a> for Labor Day will have to contend with <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation">prices</a> 23% higher than last year, according to a Tuesday report from Hopper.
The travel booking company <a href="https://media.hopper.com/research/labor-day-2022-travel-guide">found</a> that domestic airfare over the holiday weekend will cost an average of $278 per round trip, marking a 20% increase over rates seen in 2019 and a 23% increase over those in 2021. Roughly 12.6 million passengers are expected to fly, with those leaving on Thursday, September 1, or Friday, September 2, witnessing the highest prices.
“Prices remain at historically high levels as demand for travel has been strong throughout the summer after pent up demand from the prior two years due to the pandemic,” Hopper economist Hayley Berg wrote.
At a rate of $189 per night, hotel stays are 6% more expensive since the same weekend last year, with New York City, Las Vegas, and Orlando experiencing the highest search volumes from Labor Day travelers.
While the majority of passengers will fly domestically, about 39% will travel to other countries, with international round-trip airfare averaging $850 — a 34% increase since last year and a 30% rise since 2019. Among the most popular overseas destinations include San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cancun, Mexico; and Mexico City, Mexico.
Transportation expenses have risen considerably over the past year, with airline fares soaring 27.7% between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>. The increase has corresponded with a 32.9% rise in energy prices, which includes a 44% rise in gasoline costs. According to Hopper, jet fuel prices remain “historically high,” yet have declined in recent weeks to $2.94 per gallon.
The air travel industry has been impacted by persistent flight cancellations as airlines seek to grapple with a pilot shortage. More than 3,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/over-3000-flights-canceled-in-two-days-amid-severe-weather-warnings">cancellations</a> met passengers over a period of two days in May as a bout of extreme weather hit the eastern United States, while more than 1,800 cancellations <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-air-travel-conditions-improve-over-fourth-july-weekend-2022-07-05/">occurred</a> during the Fourth of July weekend.
The United States will lack 12,000 pilots by 2023, even as 14,000 pilots will be forced to leave the workforce over the next five years because of a federal law mandating that airline pilots retire by 65 years old, according to a study by consulting group <a href="https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2021/mar/after-covid-19-aviation-faces-a-pilot-shortage.html">Oliver Wyman</a>.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) therefore proposed the <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-introduces-bill-alleviate-pilot-shortage-raising-mandatory-retirement">Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act</a> — a bill that would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-introduce-bill-with-key-reform-to-stop-flight-cancellations">raise</a> the commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67. “Following the heavy-handed stupidity of government lockdowns, travel demand has naturally skyrocketed. However, Americans are now experiencing flight delays and cancellations on an unacceptable scale due to a worsening pilot shortage,” Roy argued. “A key factor is a government-mandated retirement age that forces out thousands of our most qualified pilots every year.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, however, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-slams-airlines-for-flight-cancellations-but-rejects-key-reform">rejected</a> such a proposal. “These retirement ages are there for a reason, and the reason is safety. I’m not going to be on board with anything that could compromise safety,” he told Fox News host Mike Emanuel last month. “Now, what’s clearly the case is we need to cultivate, train, and support a new generation of qualified pilots.”
Many other industries are likewise experiencing worker shortages as the labor force participation rate has continued to lag over the past two years. The metric <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-continue-to-opt-out-of-the-workforce">dropped</a> from 66% in 2008 to 63% in 2020, falling another 3% in the spring of 2020 alone as COVID led to government lockdowns, before rising again to 62% as of last month, according to the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>.

Southwest Airlines Experiences Major Flight Cancellations Across U.S.

Labor Day Flights Will Cost 23% More Than Last Year

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jetblue">JetBlue</a> and Spirit Airlines announced a $3.8 billion merger on Thursday, one day after merger negotiations between Spirit and Frontier Airlines collapsed.
Together, JetBlue and Spirit would control about 9% of the domestic flight market, which would make JetBlue the 5th largest airline in the country. The four largest airlines – American, Delta, United, and Southwest – <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/28/jetblue-airways-reaches-deal-to-buy-spirit-airlines.html">control</a> about three-fourths of the market.
The Justice Department has expressed concern that competition in the sector has declined after previous mergers, and the Biden administration generally has taken a hard stance on anti-trust policies. JetBlue executives have argued that combining their fleet with Spirit’s would allow it to more effectively compete with the industry’s larger players, and that such competition would help drive down fares. JetBlue has also <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/jetblue-buys-spirit-38-billion-87538962">offered</a> to surrender some of Spirit’s gates and take off/landing slots at various airports, creating opportunities for other airlines.
“Our view is that the best way that you can bring more competition to the sector is to create an exciting, new, low-fare, high-quality national airline that can compete with the big four,” JetBlue Chief Executive Robin Hayes <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jetblue-agrees-to-buy-spirit-for-3-8-billion-11659005196">said</a>. “So we will be making those arguments.”
Many prominent members of Spirit’s board had previously disagreed, and publicly argued that the prospective deal with Frontier was more likely to receive regulatory approval, despite the lower offered price — the final offer was <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jetblue-agrees-to-buy-spirit-for-3-8-billion-11659005196">reportedly</a> $1 billion less than JetBlue’s bid.
Frontier and Spirit had been discussing a potential merger for years, and had reached a tentative agreement in February of 2022, but an aggressive bid by JetBlue in April disrupted those plans. Spirit executives were unable to secure enough support from shareholders to close the deal, and now find themselves in the somewhat awkward position of advocating for a merger they had vehemently opposed for months.
“Where we are today is we’ve got an exciting merger agreement with JetBlue. It’s going to create a very large, national low-cost carrier,” Spirit Chief Executive Ted Christie <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jetblue-agrees-to-buy-spirit-for-3-8-billion-11659005196">said</a> in an interview. “Many things were said, but business is business.”
JetBlue will purchase Spirit shares for $33.50 per share, and the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024.
The two companies have <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-pilot-shortage-shattered-frontiers-dream-to-buy-spirit-11659002170?mod=article_inline">very different</a> business models, and JetBlue has announced that it will raise employee salaries and reconfigure seating at Spirit to align with its own standard practices — which will inevitably raise fares. Some observers have speculated that Alaska Airlines, which has a more similar structure to JetBlue, would have been a better fit for a merger. However, Alaska Airlines uses Boeing aircraft, while JetBlue and Spirit have predominantly Airbus fleets, and in a time of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-airlines-desperate-for-pilots-consider-cutting-training-requirements">desperate pilot shortages</a>, an awkward merger is probably cheaper than cross-training and certifying limited personnel on different planes.
The Justice Department is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-preparing-to-challenge-american-jetblue-alliance-11632232697?mod=article_inline">currently</a> suing JetBlue and American Airlines to break up an agreement between the two companies limiting competition between them in key hub airlines in the Northeast, fueling concerns that future deals may not be approved. If regulators block the merger, JetBlue has agreed to pay Spirit a $400 million break up fee.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-200 aircraft seen at Newark

JetBlue Buys Spirit Airlines For $3.8 Billion

Anti-trust

Biden Administration

Transportation Secretary <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-buttigieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a> announced new investigations into <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airline</a> companies on Sunday but rejected the possibility of raising the mandatory retirement age for pilots amid persistent <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/labor-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labor shortages</a>.
During an <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://video.foxnews.com/v/6309346765112#sp=show-clips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News, Buttigieg told host Mike Emanuel that his agency has “just concluded another ten investigations on airlines” with respect to delayed and canceled flights, but has also “launched another ten or so that we’re going to pursue to make sure that the consumers and passengers are protected.”
Indeed, more than 3,000 <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/over-3000-flights-canceled-in-two-days-amid-severe-weather-warnings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancellations</a> met passengers in June as a bout of extreme weather hit the Eastern seaboard; Buttigieg, therefore, asked executives to work on <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/flight-cancellations-buttigieg-faa-airlines-performance/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avoiding</a> cancellations during Fourth of July travel. Yet more than 1,800 cancellations <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-air-travel-conditions-improve-over-fourth-july-weekend-2022-07-05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occurred</a> during the holiday weekend.
In 2007, Congress raised the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots from 60 to 65. Emanuel asked Buttigieg whether he would consider raising the age to 67 — a proposal that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://airlineweekly.com/2022/05/senator-graham-may-propose-raising-u-s-pilot-retirement-age/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly preparing</a>. Buttigieg responded negatively.
“These retirement ages are there for a reason, and the reason is safety. I’m not going to be on board with anything that could compromise safety,” he replied. “Now, what’s clearly the case is we need to cultivate, train, and support a new generation of qualified pilots.”
As the number of air passengers plummeted in 2020 due to the spread of COVID, several airlines <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/09/airline-employees-wrestle-with-voluntary-separation-leave.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> early retirement packages to their employees. Airlines are now attempting to hire more than 12,000 pilots, according to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/pilot-shortage-start-ageism-rcna34831" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>, as roughly 5,800 pilots are reaching the age of 65 each year. In response, Buttigieg continued to stress the need to train younger aviators.
“The answer is not to keep the Baby Boomer generation in the cockpit indefinitely,” he continued. “The answer is to make sure we have as many and as good pilots ready to take their place, to have a stronger pipeline. We’re backing that up with FAA programs that support high school and college curriculum to get into aviation, and of course, ultimately, it’ll be for the airlines and those employers to hire and retain excellent talent.”
Airlines have also considered <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-airlines-desperate-for-pilots-consider-cutting-training-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreasing training requirements</a> in response to the shortage. Delta said in January that it would introduce signing bonuses and hike pay while removing the requirement for the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
“‘While we feel as strongly as ever about the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates — people who we would want to welcome to our Delta family — who have gained more than the equivalent of a college education through years of life and leadership experience,” the airline announced. “Making the four-year degree requirement preferred removes unintentional barriers to our Delta flight decks.’”
Meanwhile, Republic Airways — a regional carrier for Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines — sought government permission in April to cut the required number of training hours from 1,500 to 750 for its new pilots.
In the broader economy, the labor force participation rate — the percentage of people who either have a job or are actively looking for one — <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-continue-to-opt-out-of-the-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continues to lag</a> behind pre-recession levels.
“‘There are 755,000 fewer Americans employed today than prior to the pandemic, even as the population age 16 and over has increased by 4.2 million,’” Heritage Foundation research fellow and former U.S. Joint Economic Committee senior economist Rachel Greszler said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire last week. “‘This has caused massive struggles for employers and is directly contributing to inflation, as employers have to pay workers more to do the exact same work they were doing before.’”

Infrastructure Implementation Task Force Members Hold White House Briefing

Buttigieg Slams Airlines For Flight Cancellations, But Rejects Key Reform

Buttigieg Is Against Raising The Retirement Age For Pilots

Department of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/airlines">Airlines</a> canceled over 3,000 flights since Thursday due to severe weather conditions on the Eastern seaboard.
More than 1,700 <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel">flights</a> in the United States were canceled on Thursday and more than 1,300 were canceled on Friday, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today">FlightAware</a>. Airports such as Charlotte Douglas International, Boston Logan International, and LaGuardia in New York City are seeing the highest proportion of cancellations amid the severe weather patterns.
“A cold front tracked through the Ohio Valley, Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Thursday and triggered numerous severe thunderstorms out ahead of it,” <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/severe-storms-tornadoes-midwest-northeast-mid-atlantic-southeast-plains-mid-june">Fox Weather</a> reported on Friday. “The National Weather Service received more than 300 reports of damaging winds or wind damage.”
In response to the phenomenon, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told airline executives to “review their flight schedules and take other steps to soften the impact of summer flight cancellations,” according to a Friday report from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/flight-cancellations-buttigieg-faa-airlines-performance/index.html">CNN</a>. “Buttigieg asked CEOs on the call to talk through plans to prevent and respond to disruptions over the July 4 holiday weekend and beyond.”
However, airline unions are not happy about the increased stress brought by the cancellations.
&#8220;We have been working on our days off, flying a record amount of overtime to help you get to your destination,&#8221; Delta&#8217;s arm of the Air Line Pilots Association told passengers, per CNN. &#8220;At the current rate, by this fall, our pilots will have flown more overtime in 2022 than in the entirety of 2018 and 2019 combined, our busiest years to date.&#8221;
Indeed, the airline industry is currently facing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-airlines-desperate-for-pilots-consider-cutting-training-requirements">shortage of new pilots</a>. Some airlines, for example, are relaxing their requirements for pilot training.
“While we feel as strongly as ever about the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates — people who we would want to welcome to our Delta family — who have gained more than the equivalent of a college education through years of life and leadership experience,” Delta said in January. “Making the four-year degree requirement preferred removes unintentional barriers to our Delta flight decks.”
“The pilot shortage for the industry is real, and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years,” United CEO Scott Kirby explained during an April earnings call.
Americans likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airport-nightmare-continues-into-2022-u-s-flight-cancellations-hit-new-heights">endured</a> a bout of flight cancellations at the beginning of 2022 because of winter weather conditions, as well as staffing shortages brought by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. In the wake of those cancellations, several airlines <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airlines-triple-pay-for-pilots-double-for-flight-attendants-amid-widespread-cancellations">multiplied pay</a> for certain employees. While United offered three-and-a-half times pay for pilots, Spirit Airlines doubled pay for flight attendants.
More recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-officially-drops-mandatory-pre-travel-covid-19-test-for-international-travelers-to-u-s">dropped its requirement</a> for international travelers entering the United States to test negative for COVID-19. According to an order from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, the policy is “not currently necessary.”
In April, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-judge-in-florida-voids-bidens-national-mask-mandate-at-airports-planes-public-transit">nixed</a> the Biden administration’s airplane masking mandate, ruling that the policy “exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority, improperly invoked the good cause exception to notice and comment rulemaking, and failed to adequately explain its decisions.” Two weeks ago, however, the Biden administration’s Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-moves-to-force-americans-to-mask-up-again-on-airplanes">asked</a> a federal judge to overturn Mizelle’s ruling.

Over 3,000 Flights Canceled In Two Days Amid Severe Weather Warnings

Severe East Coast Weather Forces Airlines To Cancel Flights

U.S. airlines facing a pilot shortage are considering measures that would make it easier to get pilots trained faster, including halving the number of flight hours needed to become a pilot.
The pilot shortage has led to flight cancellations across the country and airlines cutting regional planes, Business Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-airlines-cutting-training-requirements-to-get-more-pilots-shortage-2022-5?amp">reported</a>.
&#8220;The pilot shortage for the industry is real, and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren&#8217;t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years,&#8221; United CEO Scott Kirby said in April during a quarterly earnings call, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/15/us-pilot-shortage-forces-airlines-to-cut-flights-scramble-for-solutions.html">according to CNBC</a>.
On May 13, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EPxjoatllI">posted</a> a YouTube video where he apologized for flight cancellations, saying &#8220;we had 63 fewer pilots than what we planned for when we built our scheduled,&#8221; which he said led to a “ripple effect.”
&#8220;By the time we caught this error, April and May schedules were bid on by our pilots and flight attendants, making it impossible to sufficiently adjust schedules to avoid cancellations,&#8221; he said in the video.
In order to address the pilot shortage, some U.S. carriers have announced they would reduce the requirements needed to become a pilot in order to get more into the air, such as ending degree requirements, halving the number of flight hours needed, and increasing the pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 – a proposal Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), is considering introducing in the U.S. Senate.
Delta made the announcement in January, saying it would increase pilot pay and offer large sign-on bonuses while at the same time eliminating the requirement that pilots have a four-year college degree, Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-respond-to-pilot-shortage-higher-pay-lower-requirements-2022-1">reported</a> at the time.
&#8220;While we feel as strongly as ever about the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates – people who we would want to welcome to our Delta family – who have gained more than the equivalent of a college education through years of life and leadership experience,&#8221; Delta announced. &#8220;Making the four-year degree requirement preferred removes unintentional barriers to our Delta flight decks.&#8221;
Republic Airways, a regional carrier operating on behalf of Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines, is making a similar move. The carrier asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April for permission to hire pilots out of their training academy when they have reached 750 flight hours, half the number currently required.
The proposal has some detractors, for sure. Families of the victims who died in the Colgan Air 3407 crash in 2009 have pushed back on the suggestion. That crash, the last fatal U.S. passenger commercial airline crash, according to CNBC, resulted in the 1,500 flight hours requirement.
And it’s unclear whether the FAA would even approve Republic Airways’ proposal, telling CNBC in a statement that “While anyone can request an exemption, it does not mean it will be granted.
Insider noted that regional airlines are the hardest hit by the pilot shortage, since bigger airlines often hire their pilots. Jonathan Ornstein, CEO of Mesa Air Group, which operates on behalf of American and United, recently <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/15/us-pilot-shortage-forces-airlines-to-cut-flights-scramble-for-solutions.html">told</a> CNBC that his airline “could use 200 pilots right now,” but that it takes 120 days to replace a pilot who has given their two weeks’ notice.

United Airlines Boeing 767 Departing From Amsterdam

U.S. Airlines Desperate For Pilots Consider Cutting Training Requirements

German airline Lufthansa faced backlash on Tuesday over a statement that it released attempting to explain why a large number of Jews had been expelled from a recent flight.
Multiple Jewish organizations <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lufthansa-flight-passengers-racism-against-jewish-travelers-mask-dispute/">say</a> more than 100 Jewish passengers who had traveled from New York City to Germany last week were not allowed to board their connection to Budapest.
&#8220;The travelers say all of the identifiably Orthodox Jews were prevented from boarding a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany, because a group of passengers had allegedly not complied with the German national carrier’s mask regulations on the first leg of the flight,&#8221; The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/passengers-say-lufthansa-threw-all-visible-jews-off-nyc-budapest-flight/">reported</a>. &#8220;The passengers were also banned from purchasing another ticket to Budapest for 24 hours.&#8221;
A video reportedly taken by a passenger showed an alleged Lufthansa supervisor saying that “everybody has to pay for a couple,” adding, “It’s Jews coming from JFK. &#8230; It was the Jewish people who were the mess, who made the problems.”
The Jewish passengers were reportedly greeted at the gate by heavily armed police once the flight arrived in Germany.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep from <a href="https://twitter.com/lufthansa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lufthansa</a> : “It was Jewish people who made the mess, Jewish people made the problem.”
Jewish customer: “Jewish people on the plane made a problem so all Jewish people are banned for the day?”
Rep: “Just from this flight.”
Vid from <a href="https://twitter.com/DansDeals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DansDeals</a> <a href="https://t.co/uSf9wW71Ne">https://t.co/uSf9wW71Ne</a> <a href="https://t.co/EdEMuj0LGh">https://t.co/EdEMuj0LGh</a> <a href="https://t.co/rULKGROIxY">pic.twitter.com/rULKGROIxY</a>
&mdash; The Meturgeman (@HaMeturgeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HaMeturgeman/status/1523335009112895489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The airline released the following statement on the matter:
<blockquote>On May 4, a large number of booked passengers were denied boarding on their onward flight with LH 1334 from Frankfurt to Budapest. Lufthansa regrets the circumstances surrounding the decision to exclude the affected passengers from the flight, for which Lufthansa sincerely apologizes.
While Lufthansa is still reviewing the facts and circumstances of that day, we regret that the large group was denied boarding rather than limiting it to the non-compliant guests. We apologize to all the passengers unable to travel on this flight, not only for the inconvenience, but also for the offense caused and personal impact. 
Lufthansa and its employees stand behind the goal of connecting people and cultures worldwide. Diversity and equal opportunity are core values for our company and our corporate culture. What transpired is not consistent with Lufthansa&#8217;s policies or values. We have zero tolerance for racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination of any type. We will be engaging with the affected passengers to better understand their concerns and openly discuss how we may improve our customer service.</blockquote>
The statement generated backlash online with many saying that it was weak, did not go far enough in addressing what happened, and allegedly made false statements about the incident.
Notable responses included:
<ul>
<li>Seth Mandel, The Washington Examiner: &#8220;This doesn&#8217;t actually address &#8216;the affected passengers&#8217; nor does it mention antisemitism except at the end as part of an AllLivesMatter statement. This is not, therefore, an apology&#8211;an apology being *the least* you owe those passengers. Try again.&#8221;</li>
<li>Dan Dayan, Former Consul General of Israel in New York: &#8220;Hello @lufthansa . You regret the &#8216;circumstances surrounding the decision&#8217;? Don’t you regret the decision itself? And your staff’s behavior? And their attitude and statements? This is not an apology. We expect you to do better. Not too late.&#8221;</li>
<li>Simcha Eichenstein, NYS Assembly Member: &#8220;It wasn’t a &#8216;large group&#8217;, it was individual Chasidic Jews that had nothing in common other than their religion that you blatantly discriminated against. The firsthand accounts I’ve heard are deeply disturbing. This &#8216;apology&#8217; by @lufthansa is not even worth the piece of paper.&#8221;</li>
<li>Joel M. Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District: &#8220;The @lufthansa *apology* continues to perpetuate the lie that the passengers on the flight were flying as a group. The only thing they had in common was their destination &amp; their Jewish head coverings. Collective punishment is outrageous. Terminate the employees who approved it.&#8221;</li>
<li>StopAntisemitism.org: &#8220;You discriminated against Jews like your Nazi founder, Kurt Weigelt, did 80 years ago. Fire ALL of the @lufthansa employees involved and issue an apology where you actually address the group you humiliated and discriminated against because this &#8220;apology&#8221; is pathetic at best!&#8221;</li>
</ul>

Germany Presents Ebola Medevac Plane

Major Airline Slammed Over Statement After Expelling 100 Jews From Flight: Report

Lufthansa Apologizes for Expelling 100 Jews From Flight: Report

Discrimination

Jews

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