Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pleaded with the public on Monday to act and dress with respect as they travel this holiday season, citing recent trends of unruly behavior in U.S. airports.
The Department of Transportation unveiled a “civility campaign” last week, encouraging people to travel with respect and courtesy toward others due to increasing numbers of in-flight outbursts and unruly passenger incidents.
Duffy echoed this message on Monday, encouraging travelers to both act and dress appropriately as they travel to crowded airports, highways, and railroads during the busy travel season ahead of Thanksgiving. Duffy called on travelers to “think about those who are around us” and “call on our better angels” instead of giving in to travel frustrations.
“We should say a please and thank you to our pilots and to our to our flight attendants,” Duffy said. “Whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe all behave a little better. Let’s try not to wear slippers in and pajamas as we come to the airport.”
In addition to requesting that travelers leave their sweat sets behind, he also asked fliers to help others load their bags into the overhead storage bins.
“Common courtesy and civility, I think, is going to work well. I ask you to please be patient with our TSA and our gate agents. They’re working their hearts out to make sure that this is the best experience possible for you and the safest experience possible for you. A little gratitude goes a long way,” Duffy said.
The DOT said the Federal Aviation Administration has seen a 400% increase in in-flight outbursts since 2019, pushing the agency to run its “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You” civility campaign this year.
“I fly a lot and I’ve had delays, I’ve had cancellations, like many of you. But if you are delayed or canceled, know that it comes from a place of your safety and mine,” Duffy said. “If it’s weather, if it’s mechanical, if it’s air traffic control, staffing issues, those are the factors that are considered as those decisions are being made.”
FAA SAYS $10,000 BONUSES ONLY FOR WORKERS WITH PERFECT ATTENDENCE DURING SHUTDOWN
The campaign comes on the heels of the recent 43-day shutdown, during which airports felt the impact of the lapse in appropriations, as flights were delayed and canceled, and air traffic controllers and technicians worked without paychecks.
The strong effect raised questions about how quickly the industry could bounce back from the shutdown, as the holiday season, one of the busiest travel times of the year, is just around the corner.
