WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday said airlines should consider equipping airplanes to be able fly over water to Florida during times of congested travel.
Florida flights have increasingly been a choke point for U.S. aviation especially as space launches prevent some airspace from being used. Buttigieg told airline chief executives in a letter seen by Reuters that “over-water Atlantic Routes between North Carolina and Florida were underutilized this past winter season, even during times of high congestion, because some aircraft were not equipped to use them.”
Buttigieg added “to help avoid delays, we strongly encourage you to ensure your fleets traveling to and from Florida are equipped to use these.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson)
