The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has fined JetBlue Airways $2 million for operating chronically late flights on the East Coast in 2022 and 2023. The penalty is the first time an airline has been fined for chronic delays, which are defined as flights that arrive more than half an hour late over 50% of the time.
The DOT had previously warned JetBlue about persistent delays on its flights between New York’s Kennedy International Airport and North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The airline’s four routes under scrutiny flew to airports in Florida, Connecticut, and North Carolina, with chronic delays occurring for five months straight between June 2022 and November 2023.
According to estimates from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over 70% of disruptions on these flights were caused by JetBlue. The airline had invested tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays in the past two years but failed to meet expectations.
The fine is part of a broader effort by the DOT to protect healthy competition in commercial aviation and ensure passengers are treated fairly. Affected customers will receive at least $75, with the remaining $1 million going to the US Treasury.
This penalty marks an important milestone for the airline industry, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stating that “illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/travel/jetblue-fined-chronic-delays-east-coast.html