A car pulls to the curb of Departures at La Guardia airport during the coronavirus outbreak Saturday, April 4, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. New York is the coronavirus pandemic's U.S. epicenter. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Trump administration is seeking to limit the drastic cuts that ailing U.S. airlines can make as they struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Transportation Department on Tuesday finalized guidance requiring airlines to maintain a minimum level of service to be eligible for some $50 billion in federal aid that was included in the $2 trillion relief package that President Trump signed March 27.
"The order is designed to ensure that covered air carriers maintain a defined minimum level of flights to communities they served prior to March 1," the department said in a statement.
The requirements will remain in place through at least September 30.
The DOT released the final version of the rule as major U.S. carriers such as American Airlines and United Airlines have instituted dramatic flight cancellations at some of the nation's busiest airports. As passenger travel has slowed to a trickle, American slashed its daily flights from John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports from 270 to 13. United has meanwhile cut its operations from 157 flights to 17.
Airlines said that they were reviewing the Transportation Department's final order to see whether they would need to seek a waiver from the agency to maintain the flight reductions. One industry insider said that a previous Transportation Department action relaxing the strict use-it-or-lose-it rules governing the lucrative takeoff slots at busy airports may cover the flight reductions that have already been implemented.
However, the DOT's final rule states that some canceled routes may need to be restarted for airlines to receive aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.
The final rules ease some of the measures in a draft proposal from last week. Budget carriers such as Allegiant, Spirit, and Sun Country, for example, had argued that the minimum service requirements would impose a disproportionate burden on their operations. The DOT appeared to recognize this feedback in adding a category that allows greater leniency for airlines that make up less than 10 percent of domestic capacity.
"The Department has determined that the impact on these carriers from the approach proposed … would be disproportionate and potentially at odds with the aims of the CARES Act," the rule says. Similarly, it states, "The Department recognizes the significant operational and financial challenges that would be imposed on carriers operating seasonal services should they be required to operate them year-round."
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
