The
agency said it’s the first time it has fined an airline for
chronic delays on specific routes, which it blamed on
“unrealistic scheduling” by JetBlue.
“Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for
travelers. Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on
notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect
reality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. His
department has led the Biden administration in criticizing
airlines for poor service and an increase in passenger fees.
JetBlue said the government, which operates the air traffic
control system, shares the blame for late flights.
Airline spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said JetBlue has invested
“tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays,
particularly related to ongoing air traffic control challenges
in our largest markets in the Northeast and Florida,” resulting
in better on-time performance in 2024, including during the peak
summer travel season.
“While we’ve reached a settlement to resolve this matter
regarding four (routes) in 2022 and 2023, we believe
accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the
U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control
system,” Dombrowski said.
He said the incoming Trump administration should prioritize
modernizing “outdated” air traffic control technology and
understaffing of controllers, who are hired by the Federal
Aviation Administration.
Transportation Department regulations prohibit airlines from
publishing schedules that don’t reflect real departure and
arrival times. The agency defines a flight as chronically
delayed if it runs at least 10 times a month and arrives more
than 30 minutes late more than half the time.
The department cited JetBlue flights between June 2022 and
November 2023. It said it warned JetBlue about frequent delays
on flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International
Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North
Carolina. Frequent delays also occurred on flights between JFK
and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and between Windsor
Locks, Connecticut and Fort Lauderdale.
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