The Transportation Division has imposed a $2 million penalty on JetBlue Airways for working 4 chronically delayed flights on home routes — the primary time it has imposed such a positive on an airline for the prohibited scheduling apply.
USDOT mentioned Friday that as a part of a consent settlement with the airline, JetBlue pays a $1 million positive and the rest will go to compensate prospects affected by its continual delays or any future disruptions inside the subsequent yr.
As a part of the settlement, JetBlue has agreed to supply vouchers value a minimal of $75 for passengers for future flight cancellations or delays of three hours or extra brought on by the airline inside the subsequent yr.
“Today’s action puts the airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” mentioned Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
JetBlue, which didn’t admit legal responsibility, mentioned in a press release it appreciates “how important it is to our customers to arrive to their destinations on-time and work very hard to operate our flights as scheduled.”
It criticized USDOT for a persistent lack of satisfactory air visitors management staffing.
“We believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system,” the airline mentioned.
USDOT mentioned at varied factors in 2022 and 2023 JetBlue operated chronically delayed flights between New York and Raleigh-Durham, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando together with a flight between Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Conn..
“Regardless of the cause of the delay (carrier, weather, national airspace, security) for any specific flight, JetBlue had adequate time to act to avoid the chronic delays,” USDOT mentioned.
The airline mentioned it spent tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to handle points with air visitors management particularly within the Northeast hall to as a lot as moderately doable to forestall any continual delays.
USDOT mentioned there have been 395 delays and cancellations throughout 4 chronically delayed flights in complete, which meant US flights which might be canceled or arrive greater than half-hour late greater than 50% of the time over a month.
The division estimates JetBlue was answerable for over 70% of the disruptions for the 4 chronically delayed flights.
USDOT final month sought remark on whether or not it ought to mandate money compensation for prolonged delays or cancellations brought on by airways.
Southwest Airways in December 2023 agreed to supply $90 million in journey vouchers of $75 or extra to passengers delayed not less than three hours attending to closing locations due to an airline-caused problem or cancellation, as a part of a USDOT settlement over the service’s December 2022 vacation meltdown.
