By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation imposed a $2 million effective on JetBlue Airways for working 4 chronically delayed flights on home routes, the primary time it has imposed such a effective on an airline for a prohibited programming follow.
USDOT mentioned Friday that as a part of a consent settlement with the airline, JetBlue can pay a $1 million effective and the rest will go to compensate clients affected by the persistent delays or any future disruptions throughout the subsequent yr.
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As a part of the settlement, JetBlue agreed to offer vouchers price a minimal of $75 to passengers for future flight cancellations or delays of three hours or extra brought on by the airline throughout the subsequent yr.
JetBlue, which didn’t instantly remark, advised USDOT it could not admit legal responsibility however would settle for a settlement to keep away from the expense and uncertainty of litigation.
USDOT mentioned that at numerous instances 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, Connecticut.
“Regardless of the reason for the delay (service, climate, nationwide airspace, safety) for any particular flight, JetBlue had enough time to take motion to keep away from persistent delays,” the USDOT mentioned.
The airline mentioned it has spent tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to deal with air visitors management points, notably within the U.S. Northeast Corridor, as a lot as moderately potential to stop any persistent delays.
USDOT mentioned there have been 395 delays and cancellations on 4 chronically late flights in complete, that means U.S. flights are canceled or arrive greater than half-hour late greater than 50% of the time in a month.
The USDOT estimates that JetBlue was liable for greater than 70% of the disruptions for the 4 chronically delayed flights.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
