The Transportation Department announced on Friday that it will impose a $2 million penalty on JetBlue Airways for consistently late flights along the East Coast. Half of the fine will be allocated to passengers who experienced delays due to the airline's scheduling issues.
This marks the first instance of the agency penalizing an airline for persistent delays on specific routes, attributing the problem to JetBlue's unrealistic scheduling practices.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of holding airlines accountable for maintaining reliable flight schedules. He stated that the action serves as a warning to the entire airline industry to align their schedules with operational realities.
JetBlue responded by pointing out that air traffic control challenges in major markets like the Northeast and Florida have contributed to flight delays. The airline spokesperson highlighted JetBlue's substantial investments in mitigating delays, resulting in improved on-time performance in 2024, particularly during peak travel seasons.
While JetBlue has agreed to a settlement regarding delays on specific routes in 2022 and 2023, the airline also called for the government to address issues related to outdated air traffic control technology and controller understaffing.
According to Transportation Department regulations, airlines are prohibited from publishing schedules that do not accurately reflect actual departure and arrival times. A flight is classified as chronically delayed if it arrives more than 30 minutes late in over half of its monthly operations.
The department cited instances of frequent delays on JetBlue flights between June 2022 and November 2023, particularly on routes connecting New York, North Carolina, Florida, and Connecticut.
