Airlines in the U.S. performed worse in 2019 than the year before in getting flights to destinations on time, while the share of flights canceled climbed for the third straight year, the Transportation Department reported today.
Overall, 79% of flights in 2019 arrived on time, slightly less than the year before, the department says. An “on time” flight is defined as one that arrives no more than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival, a definition that consumer advocates say is outdated, according to The New York Times.
Hawaiian Airlines was the most punctual airline, with nearly 87.7% of flights arriving on time. Delta was next, with 83.5%, followed by Alaska Airlines with 81.3%. The Transportation Department data for major airlines includes flights operated by the companies themselves and their affiliates.
Frontier performed worse than any other, with just 73.1% of its flights reaching their destination by the time promised. JetBlue was next, with just 73.5%, followed by United with 75.2%.
Airlines reported 302 tarmac delays longer than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 202 in 2018 and 193 the year before. There were 26 delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared with 61 the year before and 51 in 2017. Read the full story.
