JetBlue Airways Fined $2 Million For 'Chronically Delayed Flights'

New York: The Department of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. has imposed a 2 million dollar fine on JetBlue Airways for ‘chronically delayed flights,' marking the first penalty of its kind, the agency announced on 3rd January.

The DOT found that JetBlue operated four routes with consistent delays from June 2022 to November 2023. These routes included flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, Fort Lauderdale and JFK, and Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The airline was responsible for over 70 per cent of the delays on these routes.

The DOT cited JetBlue for failing to modify aircraft plans to prevent ‘illegal unrealistic scheduling.’ The agency defines a flight as chronically delayed if it operates at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late on more than half of its trips.

“Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated. The department also revealed ongoing investigations into other airlines for similar scheduling issues.

JetBlue responded by attributing delays partly to shortcomings in the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system. In its statement, the airline urged the government to modernize outdated ATC technology and address chronic staffing shortages among air traffic controllers. "Accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system," the airline said.

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JetBlue, headquartered in New York, operates in some of the busiest airspaces in the world. Despite its challenges, the airline improved its on-time performance to 71.3% between January and September 2024, up from 64.9 per cent during the same period the previous year, according to DOT data.

As part of the penalty, the DOT credited JetBlue 1 million dollars for compensation already provided to passengers, including vouchers worth at least 75 dollars issued during the investigation period.

The fine serves as a warning to the airline industry to align flight schedules with operational realities, ensuring more reliable travel experiences for passengers.