Congress to hold hearing on US airline competition, regulation

Congress will scrutinize U.S. airline competition and regulation after Spirit Airlines’ collapse, with a House hearing scheduled for June 24 in Washington. A House Judiciary subcommittee focusing on antitrust issues will hold the session titled “The 30,000 Foot View: Competition and Regulation in the U.S. Airline Industry.” Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu is expected to testify. Republicans are expected to argue that the Biden administration’s competition policies failed to protect jobs, while Democrats are likely to cite Trump-era efforts to roll back aviation consumer protections and invalidate fines related to misconduct issued under Biden. Spirit collapsed in May after President Donald Trump proposed $500 million in rescue funding despite opposition from some advisers and Republicans. The bankruptcy led to about 15,000 job losses for Spirit employees and contractors.