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The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $2 million fine against JetBlue Airways, citing the airline's chronic delays due to allegedly unrealistic scheduling. The DOT accused JetBlue of operating flights on four routes that were delayed at least 145 times between June 2022 and November 2023, with each route experiencing chronic delays for five consecutive months.
The affected routes included flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), and Connecticut's Bradley International Airport (BDL) to FLL. According to the DOT, a flight is considered "chronically delayed" if it is scheduled at least ten times a month and arrives over 31 minutes late more than half the time.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, "Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers," emphasizing that this action serves as a warning to the entire airline industry about maintaining realistic schedules. The DOT reported that JetBlue was responsible for over 70% of the delays on these routes, attributing them not to external factors like air traffic control or weather but rather to the airline's scheduling practices.
