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

FMI: http://www.bts.gov