JetBlue Airways planes at the departure gates at the John Paul II International Airport. John F. Kennedy in New York, June 15, 2013.
Fred Prouser | Reuters
Department of Transport fined JetBlue Airlines The Department of Transportation said Friday that the $2 million fine for “chronically delayed flights” is the first of its kind.
The Department of Transportation said JetBlue operated four routes that were delayed at least 145 times from June 2022 to November 2023. They took place between JetBlue's home airport at John Paul II International Airport. John F. Kennedy and Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina; between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and JFK, and between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Windsor Locks, Connecticut, according to the DOT.
“Today's action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect flight schedules to reflect reality,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a press release.
The Department of Transportation said JetBlue was responsible for more than 70% of the disruptions on four routes. The department added that the airline did not adjust its flight times “to avoid an illegal and unrealistic flight schedule.”
DOT considers a flight to be chronically delayed if it flies at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late in more than half of the cases. It said it was investigating unrealistic flight schedules on other airlines.
JetBlue said in a statement that the government must do more to improve the staffing situation of air traffic controllers and modernize the system, echoing calls from management Delta Airlines, United Airlines and other major carriers.
“While we have reached agreement to resolve this issue for four flights in 2022 and 2023, we believe that the responsibility for reliable air travel rests equally with the U.S. government, which operates the nationwide air traffic control system,” JetBlue said in a statement . “We believe the United States should have the safest, most efficient and advanced air traffic control system in the world, and we urge the next administration to prioritize modernizing outdated ATC technology and addressing chronic air traffic controller staffing shortages to reduce the ATC delays that plague millions of air travelers every year.”
New York-based JetBlue operates in the world's most crowded airspace. According to DOT's monthly report, from January to September 2024, JetBlue ranked ninth out of 10 U.S. airlines in on-time arrivals with 71.3% of flights arriving on time, an improvement from 64.9% from the previous year. tally.
The Department of Transportation said it would credit JetBlue with a $1 million fine for goodwill compensation already paid to passengers during the investigation period, as well as for compensation payable within one year of the order through vouchers to affected passengers worth at least $75.