Harry R. Weber
Airlines’ on-time performance improves in March
ATLANTA — U.S. airlines’ on-time performance and baggage handling improved in March compared with a year ago, but was worse than in February of this year, government data released Tuesday shows. The rate of cancellations and number of complaints to the government was lower year-over year, but higher than in February.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a unit of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Inc. and a feeder carrier for Delta Air Lines Inc., had the worst on-time performance in March, while Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance in the month.
The DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 78.4 percent in March, better than the 71.6-percent on-time rate of March 2008 but down from the 82.6 percent recorded in February of this year.
In March, the carriers canceled 2.1 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, a lower rate than the 2.6-percent cancellation rate of March 2008 but higher than the 1.2-percent rate posted in February of this year.
The airlines overall had a mishandled baggage rate of 4.12 reports per 1,000 passengers in March, an improvement over March 2008’s rate of 6.66 reports per 1,000 passengers but higher than the rate of 3.56 reports per 1,000 passengers posted in February of this year.
The DOT said that in March it received 705 complaints about airline service from consumers, down 30.3 percent from the 1,011 complaints filed in March 2008 but 22.4 percent more than the total of 576 complaints received in February of this year.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines had the lowest on-time arrival rate in March, at 60.9 percent. The most frequently delayed flight in the month was Comair flight 6382 from Atlanta to Newark, N.J., which was late 96.3 percent of the time. Comair, a regional carrier, is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Delta, the world’s biggest airline operator.
Alaska Airlines, a unit of Seattle-based Alaska Air Group Inc., had the second-lowest on-time arrival rate in March, at 70.2 percent, while ExpressJet Airlines had the third-lowest, at 71.7 percent
Hawaiian Airlines had the highest on-time arrival rate in March, at 91.5 percent, while Memphis, Tenn.-based carrier Pinnacle Airlines had the second-highest, at 85.1 percent, and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. had the third-highest, at 83.9 percent.
Among legacy carriers, Delta subsidiary Northwest Airlines’ on-time arrival rate was highest in March, good for fourth-best overall. For discount carriers, Southwest had the best on-time arrival rate in March.
The five flights with the longest tarmac delays in March were all Delta flights. Each was delayed on the tarmac for more than 5 hours. Each flight was on the same day, March 1. Delta’s overall on-time arrival rate in March was 73.9 percent, which ranked 16th out of the 19 airlines.
| - Alitalia: 4-hour strike could cause delays, cancellations of flights
- Powerful typhoon tears through Japan, many lose power, flights canceled; 2 dead, dozens hurt
- Powerful typhoon forces flight cancellations, cuts power in Japan; 2 dead, dozens injured
- Brookings sees more flight delays as economy improves; light rail, rush-hour fees suggested
- Security checkpoints at Houston airport briefly shut after passenger goes up a down escalator
- Airlines on-time more in August; Southwest, Continental, US Airways, United above average
- Skies clear, cleanup begins after Australia's most severe dust storm blankets Sydney
- Dust storm shrouds Sydney in red grit, causing flight chaos and prompting health warnings
|
Related News
Big airlines expand $10 surcharge for already-expensive travel around the holidaysOctober 6th, 2009 Airlines expand $10 surcharge on busy travel daysMINNEAPOLIS — Several big airlines have added $10 surcharges for busy days around the holidays, making days that already tended to be expensive to fly a little more costly. Last month airlines added a $10 each-way surcharge for Nov.
Transportation Department report says airlines' operating margin losses improved in 2QSeptember 21st, 2009 Govt report says airline margin losses improvedWASHINGTON — Helped by fees on baggage, the nation's airlines posted better operating margins in the second quarter. Low-cost and regional airlines had their first profitable operating margin since the third quarter of 2007, the U.S.
The Transportation Department's on-time arrival ranking for US airlinesSeptember 8th, 2009 DOT releases airline delay list for AugustThe percentage of airline flights in August that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, according to the U.S. Transportation Department:
1.
Airlines July on-time arrival ratings improve, with Southwest tops among big carriersSeptember 8th, 2009 Airlines improve on-time arrival ratings in JulyMINNEAPOLIS — Airline passengers got to their destination on time a little more often in July. The Transportation Department said on Tuesday that 77.6 percent of airline flights arrived on time, up from 75.7 percent during the same month last year.
Southwest Airlines readies system wide onboard Wi-Fi Internet service rolloutAugust 21st, 2009 Southwest Airlines to provide onboard Wi-FiDALLAS — Southwest Airlines is on its way to providing in-flight Wi-Fi access on all of its aircraft. The airlines and Internet Wi-Fi service provider Row 44 have plans to roll out the program in the first quarter of 2010.
DOT says more flights arrived late in June than in preceding months; weather a factorAugust 4th, 2009 Airlines June delays worst of the yearNEW YORK — U.S. airlines in June turned in their worst on-time performance since December, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday.
A look at airlines' on-time performance as reported by the DOTAugust 4th, 2009 A look at airlines' on-time statusThe following lists 19 airlines' on-time performance in June and overall on-time performance since the beginning of the year, according to data from the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Carrier On-Time Arrival Pct.
DOT says more flights arrived late in June than in MayAugust 4th, 2009 DOT says fewer flights on-time in JuneNEW YORK — U.S. airlines in June turned in their worst on-time performance since December, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday.
A look at airlines' on-time performance in April, as reported by the DOTJune 9th, 2009 A look at airlines' on-time status in AprilThe following are rankings of 19 airlines' on-time performance in April, according to data from the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics:
Carrier On-Time Arrival Pct.
Hawaiian 91.1
Pinnacle 86.2
Skywest 85.8
Alaska 84.3
Southwest 84.1
Northwest 83.1
United 80.7
Mesa 80.6
US Airways 79.9
Airtran 78.3
Frontier 77.7
Delta 76.5
American Eagle 75.7
American 74.4
Expressjet 72.8
JetBlue 72.7
Continental 72.0
Atlantic Southeast 69.4
Comair 68.6
All Airlines 79.1
DOT report: More flights arrived on-time in April with fewer planes in the airJune 9th, 2009 US Airlines say more flights on time in AprilNEW YORK — Flights on U.S. airlines were on time more frequently in April than the month before and improved from a year earlier, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S.
Airlines to lose $9 billion in global crisisJune 8th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - The world's airlines are expected to lose $9 billion this year due to the deepening crisis in global air travel, a major industry group said Monday. Airline chiefs gathering in Malaysia Monday were told that the revised figures, which are a major jump from the $4.7 billion forecast in March, signalled that a recovery in the industry was a long way off.
A look at US airlines' on-time performance in MarchMay 12th, 2009 A look at airlines' March on-time performanceThe following are the rankings of 19 airlines' on-time performance in March, according to data provided by the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics:
Carrier On-Time Arrival Pct.
Hawaiian 91.46
Pinnacle 85.09
Southwest 83.89
Northwest 82.71
SkyWest 82.39
United 80.50
US Airways 79.57
JetBlue 79.24
American Eagle 78.44
Frontier 78.37
American 77.54
Mesa 76.07
Comair 74.35
Continental 74.21
AirTran 74.01
Delta 73.88
ExpressJet 71.72
Alaska 70.24
Atlantic Southeast 60.90
All Airlines 78.40
March/April airline traffic at a glanceMay 9th, 2009 March/April airline traffic at a glanceApril and March traffic statistics for leading U.S. airline companies.
New home sales down 0.6 percent in March from revised February number, beating expectationsApril 24th, 2009 March new home sales down 0.6 pctWASHINGTON — After a staggering 74 percent decline from the peak in July 2005, new U.S. home sales appear to be bottoming out.
Kingfisher Airlines leads in February market shareMarch 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Kingfisher Airlines has emerged as the dominant player for the second consecutive month in February flying 904,000 passengers, official data released here Friday showed. Jet Airways, along with its low-cost airline JetLite, was next with 846,000 passengers, while state-run Air India (domestic) flew 574,000 passengers, the data released by the civil aviation ministry said.
Loading ...