The
US transportation department
has imposed a $2 million penalty on JetBlue Airways for persistent delays on its east coast routes. Half of the fine would be distributed as compensation to affected passengers. This marks the first instance of an airline being fined for chronic delays on specific routes, which the department attributed to JetBlue’s “unrealistic scheduling,” the agency said.
Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg criticised the airline, stating, “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.”
JetBlue, however, shifted part of the blame onto the government’s
air traffic control system
.
Spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said the airline had invested “tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays” caused by air traffic control challenges in key markets, including the Northeast and Florida which led to improved on-time performance in 2024, especially during peak summer travel.
Dombrowski called the incoming Trump administration to modernise outdated air traffic control systems and address staffing shortages among controllers.
The department identified chronic delays on JetBlue flights between June 2022 and November 2023. Problematic routes included flights from New York’s JFK Airport to Raleigh-Durham, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando, as well as flights from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to Fort Lauderdale.
Settlement
JetBlue has since agreed to a settlement over delays on four specific routes.
“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 US government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system,” Dombrowski revealed.
Chronic delays
Under the regulations set by the transportation department, airlines must not publish unrealistic schedules, ensuring departure and arrival times reflect operational realities. A flight is deemed chronically delayed if it operates at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late in over half of those instances.
