JetBlue Issues Apology Over 7 Hour Tarmac Delay
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JetBlue has issued an apology after a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Newark, N.J. left travelers stranded on the tarmac at the wrong airport for more than seven hours.
Rob Maruster, Jet Blue’s chief operating officer, made the apology in a video message posted on blog.jetblue.com Monday while the U.S. Transportation Department began investigating why more than 100 passengers on Saturday’s flight were left onboard the plane without food, water or functioning bathrooms.
In the video Maruster states that JetBlue had six flights diverted to Hartford, Connecticut’s Bradley Airport over the weekend because of “various runway congestion and other operational issues at Newark and JFK airports.”
“We did not deplane those aircraft in our target time allotted,” Maruster says. “At no point this weekend was safety ever compromised in our decision making — whether it was our customers and our crew members — in fact, safety was their No. 1 concern.”
“At JetBlue you count on us for a lot more, and we promise a lot more,” Maruster continued. “We know we let some of you down … for that we are truly sorry.”
Maruster also said that JetBlue planned to fully participate with the Department of Transportation in cooperating with its investigation while it conducts its own internal evaluation.
If the government determines that any airline violated the tarmac delay rule, that carrier could be fined as much as $27,500 per passenger.
On Saturday the JetBlue pilot aboard the Newark-bound plane ultimately had to call airport officials and pleaded with them to send police, telling them he “can’t seem to get any help from our own company” after his New Jersey-bound plane was diverted to Bradley Airport.
The plane touched down in Hartford around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Once on the ground, the plane did not move until 9 p.m.
Once diverted the plane was to land in Hartford, fuel up and fly back to Newark, assuming the glide slope equipment — a signal light that jets lock onto as they approach for landing — would be up and running again, JetBlue officials said Sunday. The passengers were told this repeatedly while on the tarmac in Hartford.
However, that plan had to be altered because once Flight 504 landed at Hartford, the airport had been inundated with diverted flights.
“The airport infrastructure was just overwhelmed,” JetBlue spokeswoman Jenny Dervin said Sunday.
The incident comes four years after JetBlue issued its “Customer Bill of Rights,” following a February 2007 organizational meltdown that led to the cancellation and delay of a massive number of its flights. The series of cancellations, caused by a major Valentine’s Day storm, left passengers stranded on the tarmac for 11 hours before they were allowed back into the terminal.
The fallout from the incident led consumer rights groups to push for a government- mandated airline passenger Bill of Rights to protect flyers against similar experiences.
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I will certainly never fly Jet Blue, having experienced a similar situation on another airline a few years back (approx. 4 hours). I would think.the pilot would have emergency reason to allow passengers to deplane on the tarmac if necessary using the emergency slides. I now only take a flight if its a family emergency! Flying as part of a charter flighti sounds more and more appealing.
Posted by: J. Carter | November 1, 2011, 5:04 am 5:04 am
This is why I don’t fly anymore unless it’s for business. Getting paid for the time you’re sitting there on the runway waiting to take off makes it considerably less aggravating.
Posted by: Realist | November 1, 2011, 6:04 am 6:04 am
Watch the video, this young fellow saying nothing. Does not answer why no assistance was given to those folks on board.Its almost like their Operations just forgot/ignored the situation. Also, he acted like this is the first time something like this has happened to an airline. I would like to see a Captain with nerve and leadership say, “Tower this is Flight#123, if we do not receive airstairs in ten minutes and deplane, I will get my passengers out!”
Posted by: The Weep | November 1, 2011, 6:59 am 6:59 am
I will confirm that our company with 20000 employees, who travel regularly will no longer be flying JetBlue. This company just doesn’t get it.
Posted by: James Anthony | November 1, 2011, 7:17 am 7:17 am
Why is it we’re only hearing about this Jet Blue flight? The reports have all said there were 23 flights diverted to the Hartford airport and that this Jet Blue flight was boxed in between other planes waiting on the tarmace. Why would this be the only fligth that sat on that tarmac for over 7 hours or does someone at ABC News have a grudge against Jet Blue so they’re only reporting on it?
Posted by: Jill | November 1, 2011, 7:29 am 7:29 am
PAYBACK, KARMA ANYONE?????
Posted by: T>S>Mck | November 1, 2011, 8:03 am 8:03 am
Come on…really? You and your 20000 employees will never fly this airline again? Get a grip. It is unacceptable to be on an airplane that long…yes, but you really put all the blame on Jetblue? What about the airport? Where were the plows? Where were the stairs? Did you want the JetBlue ticket agent to run out in her skirt and plow the tarmac and push the stairs over? In reality, I can imagine the airline has very little control over this kind of stuff. If we were talking about a pilot pushing for take off in a storm and getting suck, well that seems different. He would make that decision and be accountable for the consequences. But landing…it’s the airports job to keep the tarmac clear. This all seems so misdirected. If you’re that quick to get all hot about this without thinking, GOOD… stay off Jetblue. I really like them and I’d hate to have to sit next to a simple minded person like you. Oh, and what company do you work for that an idiot like you is in charge of making flight decisions for 20000 employees? Give me a break.
Posted by: TJ | November 1, 2011, 8:05 am 8:05 am
Careful there T>S>MCK. Pointing that out my swing that back around to you. You may end up turning Azul in the face. Maybe you already are???
Posted by: Kaydan | November 1, 2011, 8:14 am 8:14 am
What they should do is instead of fining the airline whatever tens of thousands after a certain time, they should take that and give it among the passengers. I think waiting several hours may be a bit more palapable if you knew taht you had $50,000 waiting for you. My question also is why doesn’t the pilot have the command authority to atleast taxi his plane to a hanger, where people could disembark, get to the bathroom, have food and water.
Posted by: Mike Z | November 1, 2011, 8:39 am 8:39 am
Well I like JetBlue. I think its a great airline but this is indeed unacceptable. In my mind an apology just isn’t enough. To have clients sitting there that long without food, water, and unable to use bathroom facilities is unconscionable and dangerous. JetBlue needs to come up with some type of procedure which handles any of their planes that sit on a tarmac for 2 hours. That plane should immediately become a code-blue and then begins a checklist for food, water, facilities etc.
Posted by: MyTakeOnThis61 | November 1, 2011, 9:32 am 9:32 am
I was on a NW plane 10 years ago, that was left on the tarmac for 5 hours, waiting for a “slot” to take off. We watched flight after flight pull into a gate then pull out again and leave, all the time wondering why we weren’t leaving. We never found out what the real reason was as to why this happened. Crying babies, flight attendants telling people to get back in their seats (because we were leaving very soon..yeah, right), no drinks, no food…yikes. I never flew them again..now they are “part” of Delta, but I kept my commitment.
Posted by: Carla | November 1, 2011, 9:32 am 9:32 am
Get a grip, people! Why not direct your anger to where it belongs…with the airport and the weather! The airport was clogged with diverted flights…Jet Blue can’t just demand to be let in to deplane the passengers! I was stuck in a similar situation for 5 and 1/2 hours due to weather when my flight was diverted. Was I angry? Yes, but not at the airline! I was angry at the airport, the ones actually responsible!
Posted by: Jonathan R. | November 1, 2011, 9:42 am 9:42 am
NEVER FLYING THIS COMPANY, EVER!!! This is the second time this has happened in 4 years? And they claim to give their customers “more”? How absurd!
Posted by: PamS | November 1, 2011, 9:45 am 9:45 am
I sat on a plane for over an hour because Bill Clinton wanted a haircut before airforce 1 took off.
A weather delay seems like a much more reasonable excuse.
Posted by: gerry | November 1, 2011, 10:41 am 10:41 am
Kevin Dolak–why did’nt you report on the other planes that were also waiting on the tarmac. This report is very bias towards Jet Blue. I hate dishonest reports like this and anyone with any intelligence should question this instead of making derogatory comments against the airline. It is the responsibility of the airline to send personell out to the plane to help.
Posted by: cater | November 1, 2011, 11:43 am 11:43 am
I will never fly Jet Blue. Their own flight attendants can’t handle the stress. Too bad they could not have just pulled the emergency chute like their flight attendants do in times of agitation. Although, I do not think I would have wanted to be standing on a freezing cold runway either.
Posted by: Shirley Ross | November 1, 2011, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
JetBlue’s false imprisonment of passengers on 10 planes for 11 hours at JFK back in 2007 was the reason for the Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights and the legislation that followed. Not only has JetBlue violated that, but they violated their own Customer Bill of Rights. I will never, ever fly JetBlue and I hope many people adopt that policy.
Posted by: Nancy | November 1, 2011, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
Due to my family being as spread out as we are due to our jobs (My folks in rural Upstate NY where the nearest two airports are in Canada, my brother in Pittsburgh and me in Memphis), flying is really the only realistic way we have of visiting each other. Unfortunately, none of the airlines are stellar as far as customer service is concerned, so it’s just a matter of managing expectations and being as prepared as possible. I always travel with an empty clear plastic bottle that I can fill up at a drinking fountain in the terminal, I take snacks, and if I go through ORD, I schedule at least a 2.5 hour layover there, since I never know when I’m going to get there and when my connection is going to leave.
It’s healthy to be jaded about the airlines and don’t expect much. That way, traveling is much easier to tolerate.
Posted by: Crocky | November 1, 2011, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
@Carla, BDL is a relatively small airport with 30 or so gates. With the weather being as it is and their own concern for their employees, I’m sure that some of the folks who drive the plows, etc. were either headed home or home already. It takes time to get things organized and people back to the airport. Plus, without power, it’s a little hard to refuel airplanes, run the jetways, etc, and they were having power issues during that entire time.
When I lived in CT, I flew in and out of BDL quite often, and they are one of the best airports I’ve been to. The error was with whomever re-routed all these planes to BDL in the first place, when SYR, ROC or even YUL (Montreal for all those air travel novices – which not only has Canadian but also has American Customs agents) would have been better choices in this situation.
Posted by: Crocky | November 1, 2011, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
“Once diverted the plane was to land in Hartford, fuel up and fly back to Newark…”
“However, that plan had to be altered because once Flight 504 landed at Hartford, the airport had been inundated with diverted flights.” (from article above)
Who do you think is diverting these flights? The airline? Get a grip, people, these decisions are made by airport ops and the FAA. THAT’S where your anger should be directed – if the plane is not allowed to access a gate, that’s the airport’s fault, not JetBlue’s. And yes, there were airlines in the same predicament – where’s the anger for the American Airlines flight from Paris, I believe, that also sat on the tarmac for 7 1/2 hours? And shame on the media for slanting the story – and I agree with Cater’s comment. It’s easy to dogpile instead of doing any investigative research.
Posted by: Susan | November 1, 2011, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm
I guess they didn’t learn anything from the last time.
Posted by: jackjohnson | November 1, 2011, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
I agree with Susan, Cater, Jonathan R, and TJ. Jet Blue nor any airline would not want their customers to be miserable. Every company likes return customers. It’s weird to see so much screaming before we know more information. It looks more like the airport’s responsibility to me. It will be very interesting to see what the investigation turns up.
Posted by: Big Bird | November 1, 2011, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
The guy in the video really can’t say anything of substance because of the investigation that will surely take place.
Posted by: Big Bird | November 1, 2011, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
And yes! Shame on the media for choosing to flame hysterics over objective reporting.
Posted by: Big Bird | November 1, 2011, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm
Everyone blames Jetblue but NOBODY blames the Airports for NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO HELP. All we need are catering trucks which extend UP to THE CABIN DOOR… then people (even wheelchairs) can be moved in a civilized manner to the terminal (use tire chains if necessary).
Place the blame where it belongs.. no airline pilot or flight attendant wants to be stuck on a plane any longer than the passengers.
-Major Airline pilot
Posted by: Mike | November 1, 2011, 10:13 pm 10:13 pm
I was stuck on a Southwest plane for about 5 hours once when Orlando had to be shut down due to weather. We were diverted to Jacksonville which only had one Southwest gate (it sounds like this is the case for Jet Blue in Hartford as well) Because of this and all the other planes that were diverted, we were never given a slot to pull up to the gate and deplane. Somehow our pilot and the southwest people arranged it that we could borrow another airline’s gate and get off the plane until the all-clear was given in Orlando. To further complicate the matter, deplaning at an airport where you aren’t scheduled to be meant that they had to give all the passengers numbered boarding cards since we weren’t in the electronic system. It sounds to me that the issue that happened in Hartford was a combination of the airport not having a good enough emergency plan (this is the northeast, and blizzards happen all the time) and perhaps the airline not being forceful enough about getting their passengers taken care of, even if it meant striking a deal with another airline to use their gate. I don’t know why airports aren’t better prepared for emergency situations like this. These people could have gotten off the plane and driven to NJ in that amount of time.
Posted by: LMW | November 2, 2011, 9:43 am 9:43 am
I I am an airline captain and I believe the captain of this flight made a poor decision to land at Hartford.
1. Hartford was in the bull’s eye of the storm and was the worst hit area. The weather channel was predicting this for 1 ½ days prior to the storm hitting the New England area.
2. Lots of other aircraft were diverting to Hartford clogging it up before they landed.
The captain should have used his situational awareness and declined to land at Hartford and flown to an airport out of the storm’s path and one that could handle the traffic load. My example is Syracuse NY. I flew multiple legs out of LGA during the storm and I was using SYR for an alternate all day. It was not snowing or raining and they have plenty of capacity to handle diverted aircraft. SYR is also a Jet Blue station.
I have had similar events happen to me and I have declined to divert to an airport that is unsuitable due to weather or traffic. After the trip was over I talked to pilots that flew into the trap and this Jet Blue example is exactly what happened to them. Sometimes the captain needs to say no to the company. That is why captains are highly paid. It may be legal it may be safe but is it SMART?!
Posted by: Lowandslow | November 2, 2011, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Rob Maurasters tweet Saturday Morning…
Despite calls for doom, we’re planning to operate a full schedule today. Expect delays this evening as rain turns to snow in NE.
I didn’t see that in the COO recording….the American public is sick and tired of weak apologetic leadership skills. It’s time for a real leader to take the bull by the horns. Show us a video with sustenance. Jetblue you are better than this!
Posted by: Concerned | November 2, 2011, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
I agree with Crocky, Big Bird, and several others. Everyone should know by now that the media does skew their opinions. They are always biased to what they want people to hear. Yes it sucks to be sitting in an airplane for 7 hours or more, even less at times. Fact is, it happened, there are other airlines that this happened to as well. Life is life, nothing goes according to plan. Just be patient, and live on with your life.
Posted by: Kimanak | November 2, 2011, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm