Airlines post 79% on-time rate in April
— -- U.S. airlines' on-time performance improved in April compared to the previous month and the same month last year, according to a monthly federal report released Tuesday.
The 19 largest carriers recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 79.1%, better than both the 77.7% of April 2008 and March 2009's 78.4%, according the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. A flight is considered on time if it arrives within 15 minutes of schedule.
Cancellation rates also improved in April. The carriers canceled 1.5% of their scheduled domestic flights, lower than the 1.7% of April 2008 and 2.1% in March.
The DOT report generally doesn't explain the reasons for month-to-month fluctuations in performance. But the carriers are flying significantly fewer seats this year than in 2008. Analysts say lower air travel demand amid the weak economy is also easing the burden for airlines.
In late April, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico also forced several carriers to cut back some international flights. While the outbreak directly impacted only international flights, the potential dangers of catching the virus while flying were repeatedly discussed in the media for days, possibly affecting domestic air travel.
The DOT says 7.4% of all flights in April were delayed by aviation system issues. Other factors cited include: late-arriving aircraft (6.2%); factors within the airline's control, such as maintenance or crew problems (4.8%); extreme weather (0.7%); and security reasons (0.03%).
Bad weather in a region can trigger delays in other cities, resulting in aviation system delays or late-arriving aircraft. Because the current structure for airlines' reporting of delays doesn't always capture this scenario, the DOT monitors flight data and compiles a separate statistical analysis of the broader effect of weather on operations. According to its analysis, 44.4% of late flights were delayed by weather, up from 37.9% in April 2008 and 45.5% in March.
Other findings:
