This month, the Department of Transportation fined Jet Blue airlines $2 million for what it described as “multiple chronically late flights.” They penalized Frontier Airlines for the same reason. They also are suing Southwest Airlines for chronically delayed flights, based on how they unrealistically scheduled some flights that unavoidably led to delays.

Anyone who has sat in an airport gate area or, worse yet, on an airplane at the tarmac waiting to depart understands the frustration felt with flight delays. But before bashing Jet Blue and other airlines about flight delays, it is worth looking at the cause of flight delays and what can be done to better serve passengers.

The Department of Transportation defines a flight to be chronically delayed if it is “flown at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time. Cancellations are included as delays within this calculation.”

By this definition, a flight delay occurs when flight does not reach its final destination within 30 minutes of its scheduled arrival. Airlines set their schedules, which includes when a flight is set to depart and when it is set to arrive. This includes the time it takes to taxi from the gate to the runway and the time once it lands to taxi........

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