JetBlue to Pay Out Customers for Chronically Late Flights

JetBlue Airways will be fined $2 million for chronically late flights, half of which will be paid out to affected customers, the Department of Transportation announced Friday.

“Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

The agency blamed JetBlue for “unrealistic scheduling” and said it was the first time it had hit an airline with a fine for chronic delays on specific routes.

The department prohibits airlines from publishing inaccurate flight schedules. It defines a flight route as chronically late if it is scheduled at least 10 times a month and is late more than half the time.

A spokesperson for JetBlue said the airline has invested “tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays” and passed part of the blame to the government.

“We believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system,” airlines spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski added that JetBlue had worked to improve flight times between the Northeast and Florida during summer 2024, which is its busiest route and time of year. The Department of Transportation cited flight delays between June 2022 and Nov. 2023.

Dombrowski added that the incoming Trump administration should prioritize updating “outdated” air traffic control technology and hiring more controllers.