So which airport has the most punctual flights? Few will be surprised to find out that it’s Minneapolis-St. Louis. Paul, Delta Air Lines’ major hub, 82.6% of flights departed on time despite the snow.
An on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time. Airlines provided data to OAG for the rankings, but that data only includes those that provide information on more than 80% of the flights they operate.
On-time performance was achieved during a difficult year for airlines. The crisis began in January when the Federal Aviation Administration’s main notification system went out, causing the first nationwide air traffic outage since the September 11, 2001 attacks. A nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers has forced airlines to cut back on their schedules. And bad weather disrupted air service to New York and other destinations for several weeks straight during the summer.
What airlines did right in 2023
“The strong on-time performance of Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and others demonstrates the collective efforts of the entire industry to overcome challenges,” OAG principal analyst John Grant said in a news release. It shows,” he said. He cited operational issues facing airlines, as well as maintenance and supply chain challenges across the industry.
After Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines was the second most punctual among domestic airlines and seventh in the world. — According to OAG data, 81% of flights arrive on time. American Airlines’ flights were on time 79% of the time, United Airlines’ flights were on time nearly 79% of the time, and Southwest Airlines’ flights were on time nearly 76% of the time. In OAG’s rankings, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways rounded out the list of U.S. carriers with 69.5% and 68.3% of flights arriving on time, respectively.
Most U.S. airlines had better punctuality last year than they did in 2022. Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines improved by about 2 percentage points, while United Airlines performed about the same. Even JetBlue, which was a laggard, improved by about 4 points.
Delta executives praised the airline’s staff for their reliable operations throughout the year. “Our employees are relentlessly focused on raising the bar at every step of the journey, consistently delivering operational excellence,” CEO Ed Bastian said in early January. However, the secret to on-time performance lies even deeper.
“The best way to protect airline time is to plan your flights at realistic times and allow enough time on the ground between flights,” said Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst at Atmosphere Research. said. He continued that Delta Air Lines does both by scheduling flights of appropriate duration and ensuring staff have sufficient time on the ground to fully prepare the plane for the next flight. Ta.
It also helps that Delta’s busiest airports are Atlanta, Detroit, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. In Paul’s case, no airport can match the level of congestion in the air and on the tarmac that plagues many airports in the Northeast and Florida.
What hurt airline credibility last year
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, most flight delays in 2023 will be due to airline negligence, including aircraft maintenance and crew delays.
If the delay is the airline’s fault, the airline is responsible for arranging the traveler on another flight and possibly providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodation vouchers, and even a refund. DOT has Dashboard Travelers’ rights if the airline is responsible for delays or cancellations.
However, a shortage of air traffic controllers and last summer’s bad weather significantly affected punctuality last year.
In March, the FAA announced that air traffic controller staffing nationwide was at 81% of its target level, but air traffic control centers in and around New York City were at just 54%. As a result, airlines will reduce flights at New York’s three major airports (John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty Airport) by 10% during the summer to minimize disruption. was recognized. Still, JetBlue Airways faced 68 days of “significant operational disruption” in New York in the three months ending in September, the airline’s president, Joanna Geraghty, said on an earnings call.
“September weather will get even worse”, “Unprecedented weather” [air traffic control] “Restrictions” caused confusion, Geraghty said. Add to that the fact that many of JetBlue’s flights fly through New York’s more congested airspace than any other airline, leading to twice as many delays.
“Driving on congested highways all the time increases your exposure to adverse conditions that can affect your performance,” said David B. O’Malley, associate dean of the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. says Ahmed Abdelghani. This means airlines operating in congested regions, like JetBlue in the Northeast, are more susceptible to flight delays and cancellations.
Airports are all about capacity.
Airport on-time performance rankings are largely outside the airport’s direct control. Abdelghani said airports with sufficient capacity (runways, gates, and other facilities to accommodate all their assigned scheduled flights) are those that are close to capacity or are operating at capacity. He said delays are less likely to occur.
It is also important that the sky is not crowded. For example, in New York, the FAA has a very specific and separate route for him to and from JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. If a storm disrupts your direction, one airport may see a spike in flight delays and cancellations, while another may continue to operate smoothly.
Additionally, the simple fact is that if an airport’s main airline is trustworthy, then the airport is probably trustworthy as well. The airport with the most on-time departures in the U.S. last year was Minneapolis-St. Paul. Paul, Seattle-Tacoma, and Atlanta are all hubs for Delta Air Lines. Charlotte and Reagan National Airports rounded out the top five.