The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has fined JetBlue Airways $2 million for chronically delayed flights and an unrealistic travel schedule.
This fine marks the first time since the DOT was formed in 1967 that it has imposed a fine due to chronically delayed flights. In a January 3 news release, the DOT wrote that “Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers.”
The DOT prohibits airlines from providing customers with schedules that do not reflect accurate departure and arrival times. Their investigation determined that JetBlue operated four chronically delayed flights at least 145 times between June 2022 and November 2023, each of these flights being delayed for at least five straight months in a row.
“Chronically delaying a flight for more than four consecutive months is one form of unrealistic scheduling. Under DOT rules, a flight is chronically delayed if it is flown at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time. Cancellations are included as delays within this calculation,” explained the department in the news release.
The DOT stated that it had previously warned JetBlue about the potential fine for consistently delayed flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
However, these warnings did not stop the airline from operating more delayed flights between various cities.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the DOT statement about the fine that the action “puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality.”
“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.”
The DOT further stated that the airline was ordered to cease these practices and that “Half of the penalty is going to compensate JetBlue customers affected by the airline’s chronic delays or any future disruptions caused by JetBlue within the next year.”
The other $1 million from this fine will be sent directly to the U.S. Treasury.
Although the DOT’s first fine for chronically delayed flights was imposed on JetBlue, the department stated that investigations into other airlines are currently underway.