The US Department of Transportation announced it will fine JetBlue Airways $2 million for chronic flight delays along East Coast routes.
The fine is the result of unrealistic scheduling by JetBlue, according to the Transportation Department, making flying unreliable for travelers.
The big picture: Half of the $2 million penalty will go to passengers who were affected by the delays.
- JetBlue blamed the chronic delays on air traffic control challenges in their largest markets in the Northeast and Florida, calling for modernization of air traffic control technology and addressing understaffing of controllers.
Driving the news: The Transportation Department defines a flight as chronically delayed if it arrives more than 30 minutes late more than half the time, and JetBlue’s flights between June 2022 and November 2023 fell under this category.
- The affected routes include flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, JFK and Fort Lauderdale/Orlando in Florida, and Windsor Locks, Connecticut and Fort Lauderdale.
