US airlines, 1,1% on-time arrival decrease in 3Q, 2014

The nation’s largest airlines posted an on-time arrival rate of 77.7 percent in August, down from the 78.8 percent on-time rate in August 2013, but up from the 75.6 percent mark in July 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released today.

In addition, the reporting carriers canceled 1.2 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in August, up from the 1.0 percent cancellation rate posted in August 2013, but down from the 1.6 percent rate in July 2014.

The consumer report also includes data on tarmac delays, 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.

Tarmac Delays

In August, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than three hours on a domestic flight and no tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights. The reported tarmac delay is under investigation by the Department.

Chronically Delayed Flights

At the end of August, there were nine 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 16 regularly scheduled flights that were chronically delayed for two consecutive months. There were no chronically delayed flights for four consecutive months or more. A list of flights that were chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS.

Causes of Flight Delays

In August, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 6.14 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.16 percent in July; 7.97 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 9.01 percent in July; 6.01 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 6.59 percent in July; 0.68 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.70 percent in July; and 0.03 percent for security reasons, equal to 0.03 percent in July.

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 August, 35.73 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, up from 33.68 percent in July and 33.83 percent in August 2013.

Source and image: U.S. DoT