Airline On-Time Performance Improves in January
The nation's largest airlines had a higher on-time performance rate this past January than in both January 2009 and December 2009, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 18 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 78.7 percent in January, better than both January 2009's 77.0 percent and December 2009's 72.0 percent. Starting with this report, Northwest Airlines is no longer a ranked carrier, having merged in January with Delta Air Lines.
The monthly report also includes data on lengthy tarmac delays, flight cancellations and the causes of flight delays by the reporting carriers, mishandled baggage, 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 full report is available at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/reports/index.htm . Detailed information on flight delays is available at http://www.bts.gov .