On-Time Percentage Slips Almost Three Points
The nation's largest
airlines experienced a higher rate of flight delays in October 2004
than in both September 2004 and October 2003, according to the Air
Travel Consumer Report released today by the US Department of
Transportation (DOT).
According to information filed with the department's Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS), the 19 carriers reporting on-time
performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 81.0
percent in October, down from both October 2003's rate of 86.4
percent and September 2004's 83.9 percent.
The monthly report also includes data on the causes of flight
delays, as well as information on flight cancellations, reports of
mishandled baggage filed with the carriers, and consumer service,
disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT's Aviation
Consumer Protection Division.
Causes of Flight Delays
The carriers filing on-time performance reported that 7.09
percent of their October flights were delayed by aviation system
delays, compared to 5.01 percent in September 2004; 5.26 percent by
late-arriving aircraft, compared to 3.50 percent in September; 4.51
percent by factors within the airline's control, such as
maintenance or crew problems, compared to 3.71 percent in
September; 0.84 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.55
percent in September; and 0.05 percent for security reasons,
compared to 0.07 percent in September.
Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the
aviation-system category. This includes delays due to the
re-routing of flights by DOT's Federal Aviation Administration in
consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor
in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines
do not report specific causes in that category. Airlines first
began reporting causes of delays in June 2003.
Data collected by BTS also show the percentage of overall
flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the
category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System
delays. In October, 4.47 percent of flights were delayed by
weather, up 78.1 percent from October 2003 when 2.77 percent of
flights were delayed by weather, and up 59.8 percent from September
2004 when 2.91 percent of flights were delayed by weather.
Key On-Time Performance And Flight Cancellation Statistics
Based on Data Filed with the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics by the 19 Reporting Carriers:
Overall
81.0 percent on-time arrivals
Highest On-Time Arrival Rates
Hawaiian Airlines – 95.3 percent
Continental Airlines – 87.7 percent
JetBlue Airways – 86.8 percent
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates
Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 71.5 percent
America West Airlines – 76.7 percent
American Eagle Airlines – 78.2 percent
Most Frequently Delayed Flight
ExpressJet Airlines Flight 3346 from Washington Dulles to
Newark, NJ – late 100 percent of the time
Highest Rates of Canceled Flights
Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 2.6 percent
American Eagle Airlines – 2.6 percent
Atlantic Coast Airlines – 2.4 percent
Lowest Rates of Canceled Flights
JetBlue Airways – 0.1 percent
Continental Airways - 0.1 percent
Hawaiian Airlines - 0.1 percent