Readout of the White House’s Meeting with Airline Leaders

by Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, Brian Christopher Deese, and Brian Christopher Deese

Today, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy held a virtual meeting with more than a dozen passenger and freight airline leaders to discuss shared priorities around supporting the economic recovery, tackling the climate crisis, stopping the spread of COVID-19, and ensuring strong safety protocols.

Administration leadership expressed the urgent priority of passing President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which will change the course of the pandemic and build a bridge towards economic recovery for airlines and airline workers, and they thanked the industry for their leadership and support for this critical legislation. Secretary Buttigieg, NEC Director Deese, and National Climate Advisor McCarthy also highlighted President Biden’s commitment to modernizing the transportation sector while taking bold and aggressive action to combat climate change, as well as the Administration’s plans to invest in American manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains, and create good-paying, union jobs across the transportation sector.

Secretary Buttigieg, NEC Director Deese, and National Climate Advisor McCarthy listened to airline leaders share their perspectives, insights, and priorities on the economic recovery and expressed the Administration’s commitment to building back the economy better while tackling the climate crisis. They were also grateful and optimistic to hear airline leaders share information about the industry’s ongoing and future efforts to address climate change, and they offered the Administration’s support to strengthen and advance the airlines’ climate goals.