South American airline LATAM faces a $1 million fine from the US Department of Transportation for failure to refund passengers in a timeline manner after cancelling flights during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Department of Transportation
Delta looks to flex at Haneda
In 2019 Delta Air Lines won big in the Haneda slot allocations. Four years later, however, the carrier sees dramatically different demand patterns and is seeking permission from the US Department of Transportation to alter its gateway cities, without going through a new slot allocation proceeding.
Breeze plans Mexico service in a very crowded market
Breeze is ready to make a run for the border. The carrier has applied to the US Department of Transportation for permission to fly to Mexico.
JetBlue announces Amsterdam routes, with surprisingly good flight times
JetBlue will fly to Amsterdam from August 2023. After significant public bickering with Dutch regulators, the carrier confirmed it will launch flights later this summer.
JetBlue secures Amsterdam slots, for now
JetBlue secured slots for flights to Amsterdam this summer, just five weeks after initiating a regulatory complaint against Dutch authorities. While the airline seems likely to launch the route, it is not yet willing to drop the complaint, owing to details around the type of slots it received.
JetBlue hit with DOJ, DOT objections to Spirit buyout
Regulatory approval has been a major concern since the day Spirit Airlines became a takeover target a year ago. Now, seven months after JetBlue won the bidding battle, it must convince US regulators – or a judge – that consolidation is good for consumers. And the Department of Justice will not make that an easy task.
Free seat assignments for kids: Competition or anti-regulatory ploy?
Three airlines made announcements this week around fees for kids to sit with their parents. Almost certainly driven by a push for regulations, is it enough to hold that off??
Cathay Pacific taps Taipei, Vancouver for potential US traffic connections
The coming summer could see unusual traffic patterns for Cathay Pacific’s traffic to and from the United States. It may operate flights via Taipei, as well as a Vancouver option, to move travelers between the US and Hong Kong in the coming summer.
JetBlue seeks slots at Amsterdam, possibly taken from KLM by force
JetBlue wants to fly to Amsterdam. But, facing difficulties obtaining slots at Schiphol Airport, the carrier took the unusual step of asking the US Department of Transportation to negotiate on its behalf, or require KLM to cede slots to enable service.
JetBlue teases new routes, international connections with Spirit merger
Beyond the typical beauracracy, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines are using routine merger-related DOT filings to further justify their planned combination. The new routes teased make for a far more interesting read than prior mergers have offered.