Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Report Cites Only Three Flights in July Delayed Three Or More
Hours, Down From 161
The nation's largest airlines
reported only three flights in July with tarmac delays of more than
three hours, compared to 161 flights in July 2009, with only a
slight increase in the rate of canceled flights, according to the
Air Travel Consumer Report released Monday by the U.S.
DOT.
Data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
showed the only tarmac delays longer than three hours reported in
July by the 18 airlines that file on-time performance with DOT
involved three American Eagle Airlines flights departing Chicago's
O'Hare airport on July 23, a day in which the Chicago area
experienced a severe thunderstorm and a number of aircraft were
caught on the runway. July was the third full month of data
since the new aviation consumer rule went into effect on April
29. There were only four tarmac delays of more than three
hours in May and June 2010 combined, compared to 302 during the
same two-month period of 2009. BTS is a part of DOT's
Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).
The largest carriers canceled 1.4 percent of their scheduled
domestic flights in July, slightly up from the 1.2 percent
cancellation rate of July 2009. They posted a 1.5 percent
cancellation rate in June 2010.
The new tarmac delay rule prohibits U.S. airlines operating
domestic flights from permitting an aircraft to remain on the
tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning passengers, with
exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air traffic
control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal
would disrupt airport operations. The Department will
investigate tarmac delays that exceed this limit.
The monthly report also includes data on on-time performance,
chronically delayed flights, flight cancellations and the causes of
flight delays by the reporting carriers. In addition, it has
information on airline bumping, reports of mishandled baggage filed
with the carriers, and consumer service, disability and
discrimination complaints received by DOT's Aviation Consumer
Protection Division. This report also includes reports of
incidents involving pets traveling by air, as required to be filed
by U.S. carriers.
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