AOPA chief executive officer and CEO of the National Airline Pilots Association, Bob Quinn, has come under scrutiny for his comments about the airline business.
He made his remarks during an event sponsored by the National Airlines Association last week.
Quinn said that “nobody pays the airlines for the travel,” and that they should instead provide their own revenue streams to the airline to offset some of the cost of the planes they fly.
In response, the American Airline Association released a statement in which it said Quinn’s comments were “misleading” and that the airlines “continue to provide our members with an excellent and affordable way to travel.”
The statement continued, “We continue to see tremendous demand for air travel and the AOPA-Airlines Alliance is committed to providing the best travel experiences available to our members.”
Quinn also said that there’s a need for “more regulation” in the airline world, and that “the airlines should be required to reimburse airlines for any taxes, fees, or other expenses associated with a ticket” and the airlines should “pay a fair share of the costs associated with providing the flight.”
The National Airlines Alliance released a similar statement, saying “the industry is facing a challenging and uncertain time” and said it was “unacceptable” that some airlines are “making a living off their customers’ hard work, and we continue to stand up for the right of all airlines to provide their passengers with the highest quality air travel possible.”
Quinn’s remarks come as the industry faces a series of turbulence, including a spate of record-breaking turbulence that’s left passengers stranded at airports around the world.
According to an Associated Press investigation, airlines have been struggling to keep planes airborne for a while, with many carriers cutting their flights and cutting back on flights to certain destinations.
The airline industry has had to adjust its business model to deal with the new rules, as airlines have had to cut back on international service and shut down some hubs in some markets.
Airlines have also been forced to scale back services in some cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles.
On Thursday, Quinn was among a handful of CEOs who attended a meeting of the Association’s Business and Consumer Council to discuss the air travel industry.
He said at the meeting that the AOA “will continue to work with airlines on these issues,” but that he didn’t believe that the industry “will have the ability to absorb the changes required to keep air travel affordable.”