Inclement weather in February contributed to poor punctuality statistics for the month, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has confirmed.
In the corresponding month last year, 75.3 percent of flights were on time, which is defined as within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival or departure time. In February, just 67.3 percent of domestic connections were punctual, down from 73.1 percent in January.
Late-arriving aircraft, aviation-system delays, maintenance and crew problems, extreme weather, and rare security scares led to the majority of the hold-ups, according to data forwarded by the 20 largest carriers to the DOT’s Bureau of Transport Statistics.
Stormy conditions led to 41.68 percent of February’s delays, contributing to other hold-ups such as late arrivals and system setbacks.
Cancellations were also more common in the second month of the year than the first, more bags per 1,000 passengers were mishandled, and there were more complaints about airlines.
On a positive note, however, the DOT reports that there were half as many incidents involving pets in February, compared to January.
© Adfero Ltd
