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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 2, 2001

Southwest No. 1 with best June on-time rate

 •  Chart: Percentage of on-time flights

Bloomberg News Service

WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines Co. bumped Aloha Airlines as the carrier with the best on-time performance in June, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Passengers check the board at Terminal A at Newark International Airport in Newark, N.J. Southwest Airlines Co. had the best on-time performance in June, nosing out, in order, Aloha Airlines, Trans World Airlines and Northwest.

Bloomberg News Service library photo

Southwest, the Dallas-based low-fare carrier, led major airlines with 81.7 percent of flights completed on time. Aloha came in second with 79 percent, followed by Trans World Airlines and Northwest.

AMR Corp.'s American Eagle commuter carrier had the lowest on-time rate, at 67.6 percent of flights, followed by Alaska Air Group Inc.'s Alaska Airlines at 69.3 percent.

Among major U.S. airlines, the on-time arrival rate was 75 percent in June, an increase from the 66 percent recorded in June 2000. U.S. aviation regulators have taken steps to avoid a repeat of last year's record delays.

Still, the June rate fell from May's 81.5 percent, a 30-month high.

U.S. aviation regulators say delays are dropping this year because of better weather, improved equipment and more collaboration between controllers and airlines. Delays fell 10 percent in March through June from the same period last year, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Last year, delays rose 20 percent to a record 450,289.

The Transportation Department counts flights on time if they arrive within 15 minutes of the published schedule. The on-time figures are from the 11 largest U.S. airlines, which must file the information monthly, and Aloha, which submits data voluntarily. Hawaiian Airlines is not included in the survey.

The major carriers' rate of canceled flights fell in June to 3 percent from 4 percent in the year-earlier month.

Consumer complaints about airline service declined 28 percent to 1,721.