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— DOT has denied most of the exemptions from minimum service requirements two airlines asked for.
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— Passenger air carriers are turning to cargo-only flights, in some cases for the first time in decades or ever, as passenger air travel continues to reach new lows.
— President Donald Trump put on a show of his love for truckers on the lawn of the White House, as the industry is reeling from a slide in freight demand and more drivers are getting sick.
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DOT DENIES AIRLINE EXEMPTION REQUESTS: Just things seemed to be looking up for airlines, DOT largely denied the first few requests for exemptions from minimum service requirements. As our Brianna Gurciullo reports, DOT disagreed with most of the requests for exemptions from JetBlue and Spirit, meaning that the airlines will have to continue or resume service to locations they had asked to stop.
The denials led to some speculation that Spirit in particular could decide not to accept government help, but the airline quashed that in a statement. “We’re thankful for the expeditious review of our temporary waiver requests as part of the minimum service requirements included in the CARES Act,” spokesman Erik Hofmeyer said. “We will fully comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation requirements.”
The DOT action frustrated Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “This makes NO sense. We need as many planes on the ground right now as possible,” she wrote.
One thing the agency did Thursday to to make life easier for carriers: It extended a waiver of minimum slot usage requirements at New York’s LaGuardia International Airport and JFK International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport through October.
TURNING TO CARGO TO FILL GAPS: The FAA issued new recommendations to airlines for safely carrying cargo in passenger cabins on Thursday, Brianna reports. A few examples of the guidelines: “observe weight limitations for bins and compartments” and “ensure that only people trained to load cargo in the passenger cabin will supervise the loading of the cargo.”
Some companies are flying “ghost planes” containing only cargo for the first time in decades, or in the case of Southwest Airlines, ever, Business Insider reports. Air Canada has even started ripping seats out of planes, as shown in BI’s handy photo illustration. “Air Canada’s investment into converting planes, along with the uptick in cargo flights across the rest of the industry, shows how certain airlines are that passengers aren’t coming back anytime soon,” Rachel Premack writes.
ALPA BRINGS RECEIPTS: The Air Line Pilots Association provided new examples on Thursday of how it says airlines are ignoring CDC’s voluntary guidelines on cleaning and sanitizing planes. One report came in that an airline had been using Sani-Com wipes, an unapproved product that doesn’t have the required alcohol level.
Another has been “unable to answer any questions regarding the cleaning process or materials provided to crews,” the union said. And ALPA gave a third example from an airline where management is not informing crewmembers in a timely manner if they’ve come into contact with a Covid-19 positive person. “Every day, ALPA continues to receive reports from pilots who have concerns after experiencing inconsistent sanitation standards while at work,” ALPA said in a statement.
The FAA, which has been the target of the union’s ire for not making the guidelines mandatory, said in a statement last week that it is taking such reports seriously, but that its role does not involve setting public health standards.
DEMS WANT TO RIP UP THE REPATRIATION RECEIPTS: A group of Senate Democrats are introducing legislation that would reimburse Americans stranded overseas amid the coronavirus for the sometimes-costly flights home. The bill, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, would compel the State Department to cancel the promissory notes which U.S. citizens had to sign to get on government-organized flights home, and would also require commercial airlines to give cash reimbursements to Americans for any international flight to the United States canceled or delayed more than 24 hours as a result of Covid-19.
FCC FORGES AHEAD WITH LIGADO PLAN: The FCC is backing a 5G wireless plan that many in the Trump administration are opposed to, amid worries that it could upend the U.S. GPS system, hurt national security and cost taxpayers billions. As Pro Tech’s John Hendel reports, a proposed order issued by Chairman Ajit Pai would approve long-pending applications from a Virginia satellite company called Ligado, formerly LightSquared, to offer 5G service on airwaves it already holds. Opponents include the Pentagon and Republican defense hawks on Capitol Hill, who have warned that the plan would interfere with military GPS signals.
House Transportation Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) recently wrote to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao raising his own concerns about Ligado’s bid, John reports. Two airlines have also joined with FedEx and other organizations to urge the FCC to shut down the proceeding.
TRUCKING’S BIGGEST FAN: President Trump Thursday feted truck drivers Thursday in an upbeat lovefest on the White House lawn that was somewhat at odds with the dire situation that the industry (not to mention the country as a whole) is facing. He and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao praised truckers, with the president calling them the “the foot soldiers who are really carrying us to victory” in the war against coronavirus.
“You wouldn’t switch jobs with anybody, would you?” Trump said. “I know the truckers. They wouldn’t switch with anybody. It’s what they love. That’s why they’re good at it.” But it’s not necessarily a great time to be a truck driver. As a report produced for FEMA noted, driver absenteeism is rising as more drivers and their families get sick, especially in the Northeast. And demand has been shifting rapidly, leading to fears of a “freight cliff” and worries that mom-and-pop trucking outfits could soon be faced with closing.
DOT has been working to ease the burden on drivers, taking action to ensure that drivers can get fed at truck stops and are able to continue driving if their commercial licenses or medical certificates expire while licensing facilities are shut down. “At the president’s direction, we have reached out to the trucking industry on an unprecedented basis, listening to your concerns, providing regulatory relief,” Chao said.
On the invite list: Drivers from UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Big G Express were handed ceremonial keys by Trump, as well as the American Trucking Associations’ Chris Spear. What did the keys signify (or open)? Not at all clear from the ceremony.
DANGER REMAINS ON THE ROAD: Road safety advocates are worried that while overall traffic is way down, fatalities are rising as drivers speed through emptier streets. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, New York City issued 24,765 automated speeding tickets citywide on March 27, nearly double the amount issued daily a month earlier. The fatality rate for car crashes is rising in Massachusetts, and pedestrian fatalities are rising in Nevada and Rhode Island.
Counterpoint: The number of collisions and other accidents resulting in fatalities and injuries on California roads dropped by half during the state’s stay-at-home order, saving roughly $1 billion over the past month, according to a new study. Debra Kahn has more info for Pros from California.
MAILBAG: The Association of American Railroads signed on to a letter to the FCC weighing in on the agency’s rulemaking on the 6 GHz docket, which involves opening up the bandwidth used for fixed services links to unlicensed users.
— “Coronavirus fuels historic drop in jet fuel demand.” Axios.
— “Boeing set to resume commercial plane production as early as April 20.” CNBC.
— “Self-driving truck developer Kodiak lays off about 20% of employees.” The Information.
— “HHS signs ventilator deal with GE, Ford under DPA.” POLITICO Pro.
— “NJ Transit CEO tests positive for coronavirus.” NJ.com
DOT appropriations run out in 166 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 1,262 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 166 days.
