But Decreases Not As Significant As In Previous Months

The nation's largest airlines reported four flights in September with tarmac delays of more than three hours, down from six flights in September 2009, with only a slight increase in the rate of canceled flights, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released Tuesday by the U.S. DOT.

Data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) showed the only tarmac delays longer than three hours reported in September by the 18 airlines that file on-time performance data with DOT involved delays caused by weather in New York and Philadelphia on Sept. 22. September was the fifth full month of data since the new aviation consumer rule went into effect on April 29. There have been only 12 total tarmac delays of more than three hours reported from May through September this year, compared to 535 during the same five-month period of 2009. BTS is a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

The largest carriers canceled 0.9 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in September, up from the 0.6 percent cancellation rate of September 2009. They posted a 1.0 percent cancellation rate in August 2010.

The new tarmac delay 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.

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, it has information on airline bumping, 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.

The reporting carriers recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 85.1 percent in September, down from the 86.2 percent on-time rate of September 2009 but up from August 2010's 81.7 percent.

The carriers filing on-time performance data reported that .0600 percent of their scheduled flights had tarmac delays of two hours or more, up from .0400 percent in August. There were four flights with tarmac delays of more than three hours in September.

At the end of September, there was only one flight that was chronically delayed - more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time - for two consecutive months. There were no chronically delayed flights for three consecutive months or more. A list of flights that were chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS.

The carriers filing on-time performance data for the month reported that 4.81 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 5.07 percent in August; 4.60 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 6.42 percent in August, 3.99 percent by factors within the airline's control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 5.16 percent in August; 0.41 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.46 percent in August; and 0.02 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.04 percent in August. 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 the FAA 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 show 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 September, 34.53 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, down 0.17 percent from September 2009, when 34.59 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and down 1.54 percent from August when 35.07 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

FMI: www.bts.gov