No Tarmac Delay Longer Than Four Hours on International Flights During The Month

Airlines reported five tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights and no tarmac delays of more than four hours on an international flight in May, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released Thursday.

The 16 airlines that file their on-time performance data with the Department reported that 79.4 percent of their flights arrived on time in May, down from the 83.4 percent on-time rate from May 2012 but up from the 77.3 percent mark from April 2013. The consumer report also includes data on cancellations, chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains information on mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the carriers, and consumer service, disability, and discrimination complaints received by DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. The consumer report also includes reports of incidents involving the loss, death, or injury of pets traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers.

The reporting carriers canceled 1.1 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in May, up from the 0.9 percent cancellation rate posted in May 2012 but down from the 1.8 percent rate of April 2013.
 
At the end of May, there were four flights that were chronically delayed – more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time – for three consecutive months.  There were an additional 39 flights that were chronically delayed for two consecutive months.  There were no chronically delayed flights for four months or more.  A list of flights that were chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS.
 
In May, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 6.12 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.76 percent in April; 7.33 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 8.11 percent in April; 5.13 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 5.29 percent in April; 0.59 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.47 percent in April; and 0.03 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.04 percent in April. 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.
 
Data collected by BTS also shows the percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System delays. In May, 39.01 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, up 1.25 percent from May 2012, when 38.53 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and up 13.60 percent from April when 34.34 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

The larger U.S. airlines have been required to file complete reports on their long tarmac delays for domestic flights since October 2008. Under a rule that took effect Aug. 23, 2011, all U.S. and foreign airlines operating at least one aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats must report lengthy tarmac delays at U.S. airports.

Also beginning Aug. 23, 2011, carriers operating international flights may not allow tarmac delays at U.S. airports to last longer than four hours without giving passengers an opportunity to deplane. There is a separate three-hour limit on tarmac delays involving domestic flights, which went into effect in April 2010. Exceptions to the time limits for both domestic and international flights are allowed only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons. Severe weather could cause or exacerbate such situations.

FMI: www.bts.gov