The nations most delayed flight? According to the latest numbers from the Department of Transportation, it's American Airlines Flight 1267 (Miami-to-San Juan), which arrived late 86.7% of the time by an average of 70 minutes in October, the latest month for which data is available (page 14). The other flight making the list for October: Delta subsidiary Comair Flight 6273 from Cleveland to Atlanta, which arrived late 82.8% of the time by an average of 47 minutes.
But the real highlight of the latest federal report may be the fact that only two flights showed up on October's list of chronically delayed flights (flights that arrive late at least 80% of the time they fly). The two-flight list from the latest report stands out, standing out in stark contrast to previous data. Dozens of flights have made the DOT's "chronically late" category every month for at least the past year. In September alone, for example, the DOT report listed 74 flights (pages 14-16) as arriving late at least 80% of the time.
Overall, USA TODAY says "U.S. airlines' on-time performance improved in September as the industry handled fewer flights amid lower demand, according to government data released Friday. The 19 carriers filing information reported an on-time rate of 84.9% in September, higher than both September 2007's 81.7% and August 2008's 78.4%, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. A flight is counted as 'on time' if it arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled time."
USA TODAY adds "airline performance generally improves in early fall, as the busy summer season winds down and the relatively slow pre-holiday period kicks in. Moreover, the industry has aggressively cut back flights in many domestic markets in the face of rising jet fuel prices earlier this year and a slowing economy. The cutbacks have resulted in faster flight turnarounds and less congestion in busy hubs, where delays can trigger stacked runways throughout the system."
No comments:
Post a Comment