TrapDraw Podcast – No Laying Up 359: 2025 Airports - Pete Buttigieg
Sep 17, 2025
Pete Buttigieg, former US Secretary of Transportation and mayor of South Bend, Indiana, shares insights on travel and infrastructure. He ranks his favorite airports, discusses air traffic control challenges post-COVID, and explores the airline industry's competitive landscape. Buttigieg touches on the evolution of travel loyalty programs and emphasizes the importance of passenger protections. He also dives into future innovations like eVTOLs and their implications for safety and public perceptions, blending humor with critical infrastructure conversations.
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O'Hare Is Personal And Familiar
- Pete Buttigieg proposed to his husband at O'Hare and knows the airport gate-by-gate.
- He loves O'Hare's chaotic, familiar layout and values smaller airports like South Bend and Traverse City.
Federal Grants Scale From Big Hubs To Tiny Airfields
- Federal funding helps both huge hubs and tiny airports through grants and facility charges.
- Small targeted grants can transform lifesaving services at tiny community airports.
Air Traffic Control Shortage Is Structural
- The core problem with air traffic control was a long-term staffing decline that needed reversing.
- Solutions focused on recruitment, multiple application windows, university partnerships, and equipment upgrades.