The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has fined JetBlue Airways $2 million for operating four chronically delayed domestic flights, marking the first penalty of its kind against an airline for prohibited scheduling practices.
Under the terms of a consent agreement, JetBlue will pay $1 million in fines and allocate the remaining $1 million to compensate customers affected by past delays or any significant disruptions in the coming year. The airline has also agreed to offer passengers vouchers of at least $75 for cancellations or delays of three hours or more caused by JetBlue within the next 12 months.
JetBlue, which has not yet commented on the penalty, did not admit liability but opted to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainties of litigation, according to USDOT.
The chronically delayed flights operated by JetBlue between 2022 and 2023 included routes connecting New York with Raleigh-Durham, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando, as well as Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
“Regardless of the cause—whether carrier-related, weather, or airspace issues—JetBlue had ample opportunity to address and prevent these chronic delays,” USDOT said.
The department reported 395 delays and cancellations across the four flights, which were consistently late or canceled over 50% of the time during specific months. USDOT attributed over 70% of the disruptions to JetBlue.
JetBlue stated it had invested millions to mitigate air traffic control challenges in the busy U.S. Northeast corridor but acknowledged that delays persisted despite these efforts.
