The committee’s ranking member, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the disruption “an epic screwup” but said he was assured Southwest executives “are committed to doing everything possible to prevent its recurrence.”

Cruz hammered at Buttigieg, remarking he was “notably absent” from the Thursday hearing on the Southwest Airlines breakdown, according to The Hill. He went on to say impacted travelers did not receive any apologies. A system meltdown at the Federal Aviation Administration last month briefly grounded all U.S. flights….

Some Democrats and critics said Buttigieg was not tough enough on airline overbooking. Although the DOT has stricter refund rules under Buttigieg, the department has yet to fine any airlines for persistent travel issues.

[Where’s Pete? Is he taking another months-long leave in a crisis? — Ed]