In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. Department of Transportation has imposed a $2 million penalty on JetBlue for persistently operating delayed flights. This marks the first time the federal agency has taken such action.
As reported by One America News, the Department of Transportation attributes these chronic delays to "unrealistic scheduling" by the airline, a practice that has never before resulted in a fine. The Department's Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, expressed his disapproval, stating, Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Todays action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality.
The Department's regulations prohibit airlines from offering schedules that do not accurately reflect actual flight departure and arrival times. However, an investigation by the Department revealed that JetBlue had violated this rule by operating four chronically delayed flights at least 145 times between June 2022 and November 2023.
The Department further noted that each of these flights was delayed for five consecutive months or more. Despite warnings from the Department about inaccurate departure and arrival times for its flight between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, JetBlue continued to operate three more repeatedly delayed flights. These flights were between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida and JFK; and between Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
In total, these four chronically delayed flights resulted in 395 delays and cancellations. The Department is currently investigating other airlines for similar violations of unrealistic scheduling.
According to the Department, a flight is deemed chronically delayed if it flies at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50% of the time, with cancellations included as delays. The Department also found that JetBlue was responsible for over 70% of the chronically delayed flights.
The penalty imposed on JetBlue requires the airline to pay half the amount in cash to the U.S. Treasury. The remaining $1 million will be used to compensate JetBlue passengers affected by the delayed flights or any future disruptions caused by JetBlue within the next year. The minimum compensation for each affected passenger must be $75.
Secretary Buttigieg reiterated his stance, saying, The department will enforce the law against airlines with chronic delays or other unrealistic scheduling practices in order to protect healthy competition in commercial aviation and ensure passengers are treated fairly.
In response to the penalty, JetBlue stated that it had invested tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays over the past two years, leading to improvements in 2024. A spokesperson for the airline said, While weve reached a settlement to resolve this matter regarding four flights in 2022 and 2023, we believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nations air traffic control system.
This case serves as a stark reminder to all airlines of the importance of maintaining realistic schedules and the potential consequences of failing to do so. It also raises questions about the role of the U.S. government in ensuring reliable air travel, as pointed out by JetBlue. As the Department continues its investigations into other airlines, the industry will undoubtedly be watching closely.
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