Fri, Mar 11, 2011
Only One Flight In January Delayed Over Three Hours
The nation's largest airlines
reported only one flight in January with a tarmac delay of more
than three hours, down from 20 flights in January 2010, according
to the Air Travel Consumer Report released Tuesday by the U.S.
DOT.
Data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a
part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration,
showed there have been only 16 total tarmac delays of more than
three hours reported from May 2010 through January 2011 by the
airlines that file on-time performance data with DOT, compared to
604 reported from May 2009 through January 2010. In January,
the carriers also reported that .0600 percent of their scheduled
flights had tarmac delays of two hours or more, equal to the .0600
percent reported in December 2010.
January was the ninth full month of data since the new aviation
consumer rule went into effect on April 29, 2010. The new
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.
During January, when large parts of the country experienced
severe winter weather, the carriers canceled 3.9 percent of their
scheduled domestic flights, compared to 2.5 percent in January 2010
and 3.7 percent in December 2010. The number of canceled
flights with tarmac delays of more than two hours increased only
slightly, from 268 between May 2009 and January 2010 to 312 between
May 2010 and January 2011. There were 46 canceled flights
with tarmac delays of more than two hours in January 2011, up from
17 in January 2010.
The monthly report also includes data on on-time performance,
chronically delayed flights, flight cancellations, and the causes
of flight delays filed with the Department by the reporting
carriers. In addition, the report contains information on
reports of mishandled baggage filed by consumers 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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