Lawmakers seek U.S. probe on airline handling of COVID funds
위원회는 감사관이 “각 항공사 수령인이 자금을 지출하고 사용한 방법에 대한 회계처리를 포함하여 재무부가 코로나 바이러스 팬데믹 동안 항공사에 운영을 지속하기 위해 지출한 연방 자금에 대한 철저한 검토를 완료하기를 바란다”고 말했습니다. 주요 항공사를 대표하는 단체는 즉각 논평하지 않았습니다. 항공사들은 540억 달러 중 26.2%인 140억 달러를 상환해야 합니다. 아메리칸 항공 AAL입니다.O는 126억 달러, 델타 항공 DAL을 받았습니다.119억 달러, 유나이티드 항공 UAL입니다.O $109억과 사우스웨스트 항공 LUV입니다.미 상원 위원회에 따르면 72억 달러입니다. 피트 부티기그 미 교통부 장관은 올 여름 수만 건의 항공편 결항과 지연에 대한 항공사들의 책임을 묻기 위해 더 많은 조치를 취해야 한다는 의회의 압력에 직면해 있습니다. 8월 31일, 36명의 주 검찰총장으로 구성된 그룹은 의회에 승객들의 불만을 조사할 수 있는 새로운 권한을 줄 것을 요청했습니다. 민주당 상원의원 엘리자베스 워렌과 알렉스 파딜라는 교통부에 인력이나 운영상의 문제로 인해 항공편을 지연시키거나 취소하는 항공사에 벌금을 부과할 것을 촉구했습니다. (데이비드 셰퍼드슨 보도, 수잔 히비 지음, 도이나 치아쿠와 조나단 오아티스 편집)(sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-898-8300; )
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) – The leaders of two congressional committees want a federal probe into whether airlines used government pandemic money to fund pilot buyouts and early retirements that may have fueled current pilot shortages, according to a letter released on Friday.
Congress approved $54 billion in three rounds covering much of U.S. airline payroll costs for 18 months that ended in September 2021. Airlines accepting government assistance that funded payroll costs were prohibited from furloughs or firing workers and faced limits on executive compensation and bans on stock buybacks and dividends.
Major airlines, after losing thousands of employees during the pandemic, now have more pilots than before COVID-19 and are flying fewer flights but face higher absentee rates driven by COVID cases. Regional airlines are still struggling to hire enough pilots, while airlines cut back on flights this summer to improve performance.
“As a result of pilot shortages, thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled, wreaking havoc on travel plans for millions of American taxpayers,” House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Coronavirus Crisis Committee Chairman James Clyburn wrote in a Sept. 8 letter to the Treasury Department’s inspector general.
The committee wants the inspector general to “complete a thorough review of the federal funding Treasury has disbursed to airlines to sustain their operations during the coronavirus pandemic, including an accounting for how the funds were disbursed and used by each airline recipient.”
A group representing major airlines did not immediately comment.
Out of $54 billion, airlines must repay $14 billion, or 26.2%. American Airlines AAL.O received $12.6 billion, Delta Air Lines DAL.N $11.9 billion, United Airlines UAL.O $10.9 billion and Southwest Airlines LUV.N $7.2 billion, according to a U.S. Senate panel.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faces pressure from Congress to do more to hold airlines accountable for tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays this summer.
A group of 36 state attorneys general on Aug. 31 called on Congress to give them new authority to investigate passenger complaints. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Alex Padilla have urged the Department of Transportation to fine airlines that delay or cancel flights because of staffing or operational issues.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)
((sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-898-8300;))